Noosa residents urge council to crack down on problematic holiday homes

Residents who have called Noosa home for years worry their livelihoods and the region itself are being destroyed by unregulated short-term accommodation.

Steve Trgo, Alison Asher, Julia Craddock, Tansy Grant and Paul Jones want tougher rules for short term accommodation homes and units in Noosa. Picture: Tegan Annett

Residents who have called Noosa home for years worry their livelihoods and the region itself are being destroyed by unregulated short-term accommodation homes and units.

Tansy Grant once loved living at Sunrise Beach, but now when asked if she lives in that suburb she replies "unfortunately".

The property next door is rented as a holiday home and she said can have more than a dozen visitors at a time.

Council slammed for 'draconian' short stay rental bid

Short stay shake up: Security firms could monitor homes

She and other residents affected by short term accommodation are urging Noosa Council to crack down on the industry.

The council will ask for public feedback from April 9 on its draft local laws for short term letting properties.

It has proposed a one-off application and annual renewal to register a home or unit and a code of conduct for guest behaviour.

It has also proposed a contact person must manage the premises, be available 24/7, located within 20 minutes of the property and respond to complaints within 30 minutes.

Ms Grant said they were considering selling and moving elsewhere because they have grown tired of the noisy guests next-door, where weekday parties are the norm.

"We're at the stage that we're thinking 'can we live like this'," Ms Grant said.

Noosa residents are calling on council to have a tougher regulations for short term accommodation homes and units in the area. Picture: Tegan Annett

Paul Jones said it was the single biggest issue in Noosa.

"It's a massive cancer and if we don't fix this now we're going to turn Noosa into a farce," he said.

But the council's bid to regulate properties has received criticism from the industry with Stay corporate affairs director Eacham Curry calling for a statewide code of conduct instead.

He said the council's local law would put tourism dollars at risk and fail to address concerns raised about housing affordability, the impact on government resources and neighbourhood amenity.

Sunrise Beach resident of 21 years Alison Asher said she fears for hers and her daughter's safety because of a nearby holiday rental.

"We share a pool with this house and I've seen people swimming in there looking into my daughter's room," Ms Asher said.

Activate your free Courier Mail subscription for big rewards

"We're not suggesting people shouldn't have fun … but it is at the point where I'm scared for my own children.

"My kids are growing up here and they're not going to have that same sense of community that we have experienced here."

Sunshine Beach resident Julia Craddock also lives next door to a holiday rental and said they should be treated as businesses.

"There's a difference between hotels, motels and backpackers and now we essentially have hotels run out of residential homes," she said.

"With these short term accommodation properties we're paying for them from being unable to live with this intrusion into our lives."

Ms Craddock began keeping logs of when guests break noise limits and regularly lodges complaints with council.

She would like to see limits put on the number of days residential properties can be rented to guests, which could also help address Noosa's rental shortage.

Originally published as Noosa residents urge council to crack down on problematic holiday homes