Noosa rental property taken over by letting agent after complaints about short stay noise

Sunshine Beach resident Bruce McLean says he is finally enjoying peaceful nights after a letting agent took charge of a neighbouring short-stay rental house and enforced a strict code of conduct.

Holiday stays for Noosa residents living nearby can prove to be a real problem according to a Sunshine Beach resident.

Sunshine Beach resident Bruce McLean says he and his neighbours are finally enjoying peaceful nights after a letting agent took charge of a neighbouring short-stay rental house and enforced a strict code of conduct.

Mr McLean said his family had struggled to enjoy their home ever since as many as three families started to stay three to four nights at a time in the up-market property.

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“It’s got a huge entertainment area out the back really set up for people to have lots of parties,” Mr McLean said.

He said the anti-social behaviour was “anything an everything” which included noisy late night pool use and drinking on the balconies at all hours.

The agent had visited nearby residents in the street and handed out his card with advice to call him any time if there was problem behaviour in the rental.

“At Schoolies there was a whole lot of ex-school girls and the agent required a parent (living) on site and they said yes – it never happened,” Mr McLean said.

“We looked across the road and saw all these boys hanging off the balcony and lots of noise going on during the day and we were afraid these kids were going to fall off the balcony.”

Mr McLean said the agent arrived, kicked the boys out, made sure that a parent was onsite and there were no more issues after that.

On another occasion the short stay was let to three Brisbane families in their 30s who arrived with their kids and cars packed with food and alcohol.

“And then they just turned the music up, it was just party time,” Mr McLean said.

“The agent got several calls from several neighbours to say this was out of control and he went around and actually threatened them if they didn’t shut down, they would be evicted the next morning.

“They did comply.”

Noosa is having problems dealing with it’s short stays rentals, but one letting agent seems to be making a difference.

 Mr McLean said it was a prime example of a letting agent managing short stay rentals well.

“I think there are other agents that are doing it well, but I don’t know of them,” he said.

Mr McLean, who is part of a lobby group Noosa Residents Against Unregulated Short Stay Accommodation, said this should be an example to other short stays.

He said it would ensure property owners, letting agents and nearby residents would enjoy the best outcome.

“They have commercial interest, we have residential amenity interests,” he said.

He is urging residents impacted by short stay rentals or who may be concerned they are causing a shortage of permanent rentals for locals, to respond to the council’s Your Say Noosa online feedback by the May 14 deadline.

Mr McLean said there should be a council response team geared to react 24/7 upon anonymous advice from a resident to also attend call outs and ensure compliance.

The council is proposing a new local law to manage short stay letting which would include all renters signing a good behaviour code of conduct.

The law would require short stay rental owners to appoint a contact person whose contact details would be listed on the front of the property.

The contact person must be contactable at all times and respond to all complaints within 30 minutes.