Yarra Ranges Council pushes for statewide register of short stay accommodation providers

After a spate of unruly guests created havoc for neighbours in the Yarra Ranges, there’s a push for short stay accommodation owners to face tighter regulations.

Yarra Ranges Council is calling for a statewide register of short term accommodation providers, after problems with various Airbnb properties in the area.

After a spate of party houses caused a nightmare for neighbours, Yarra Ranges Council is pushing for a statewide register of short stay accommodation providers.

The Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges are popular spots for Airbnb listings, but some problem guests have created havoc in quiet neighbourhoods, with some urinating in the street and partying all night in a quiet Belgrave South neighbourhood.

Currently short stay accommodation providers are exempt from registering their properties, making it hard for the council to take action when problems arise.

Speaking at the council meeting on Tuesday night, Cr Fiona McAllister said councillors received regular calls from frustrated residents about short stay accommodation problems in their neighbourhood.

“(It) impacts on (their) health and wellbeing and their ability to live their life quietly in their home,” Cr McAllister said.

“It is a complex issue and at the moment we are hamstrung and often need to involve the police to resolve these issues.”

The council will ask the Municipal Association of Victoria to advocate to the Department of Justice and Community Safety to make an amendment to the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, to create a short stay accommodation or short stay rental register.

Cr McAllister said the register would allow the council to monitor the impact of local short term accommodation providers; know how many providers were operating in the area; and better support the community.

A street of Mooroolbark residents were at their wits end about a house being used as an Airbnb in 2019. Picture: Ellen Smith

With short stay accommodation businesses currently being exempt from registration, it is extremely difficult for council to regulate and ensure community health and safety standards are being complied with, the council report notes.

Adam Cornell, who started a petition calling for tougher regulations for short term holiday rentals in the Yarra Ranges, welcomed the council’s push.

“If you look at hotel chains and the regulations they have to abide by for safety reasons, I feel like it’s only fair if people earn an income off accommodation they have to follow certain standards as well,” he said.

“I love seeing young kids coming to the Dandenong Ranges and enjoying the area, but having the wrong kind of people needs to be stopped.”

Cameron Huston, who also experienced issues with the Belgrave South Airbnb, also welcomed the move.

“Anything to help out the residents who live in the area would be fantastic,” he said.

Airbnb country manager for Australia and New Zealand Susan Wheeldon said neither Airbnb nor its Host community was opposed to short-term rentals being regulated.

“We support the statewide frameworks in NSW and Tasmania, including their respective registration components,” Ms Wheeldon said.

“The regulatory framework in NSW provides the state government with a very clear understanding of the number of short term rental accommodation properties across the state, where they are located, and how frequently they are used throughout the year.

“Rather than a patchwork of differing rules from council to council, we welcome statewide rules that are fair, sensible and strike a balance so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of tourism, and are sympathetic to the changing ways people are living and working given the rise of flexible and hybrid work arrangements.

“We know that the overwhelming majority of our Hosts share their homes responsibly, just as the overwhelming majority of guests are responsible and treat their Airbnb listings and neighbourhoods as if they were their own.”

Parties and events are now banned at all Airbnb properties.