Mornington Peninsula homeowners cash in as demand for holiday rentals soars
More than 150 complaints have been investigated and 14 fines issued as new short stay rentals flood the market.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
Badly behaved guests and rookie operators have led to an average of at least one complaint every day about short term rentals on the Mornington Peninsula this summer.
Between November 1 and January 20 the local council has investigated 161 complaints and issued 14 infringements and three warnings to operators.
The fines were for a range of breaches including owners failing to register properties and not providing a designated contact person to neighbours.
However, the council said the number of complaints was down on previous years.
There were 184 complaints for the same period in 2020/21 and 139 in 2019/20.
“We’ve received fewer complaints about short stay rental properties this year, despite an increase in the number of registrations,” Community Safety and Compliance manager Shannon Maynard said.
“We want to thank all those owners who have done the right thing by registering their short stay rental property.”
The shire introduced a local law in 2018 to regulate short stay accommodation in the region.
Registration is $300 per property per year.
It includes a code of conduct that bans use of outdoor pools and spaces between 11pm and 7am and prohibits aggressive behaviour, arguing, singing, cheering and clapping.
The short stay accommodation market has exploded on the Mornington Peninsula as property owners seek to cash in on closed borders and Covid restrictions.
In 2021 the number of new properties registered with the council rose by 789, compared to 373 joining the register in 2020.
The are currently 2632 short stay rentals on the council’s register, generating $789,600 in fees.
“Registering your property means you can be contacted if a problem arises,” Mr Maynard said.
“This ensures any issues can be dealt with promptly and the impact on surrounding neighbours is minimised.
“By registering, you are contributing to keeping the Peninsula safe and liveable for all.”
Airbnb’s Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand Susan Wheeldon said the Mornington Peninsula was the most searched region by Victorians in December 2021 and January 2022.
“Mornington Peninsula hosts on Airbnb have enthusiastically rolled out their welcome mats... bringing in much-needed tourism dollars for local businesses that will help spur on economic recovery,” Ms Wheeldon said.
“The safety of our community is one of our top priorities and we continue to enforce strict policies and community standards, including our global ban on parties.”
A wild party at a Mornington Airbnb that breached lockdown restrictions saw star jockeys Jamie Kah and Ben Melham miss the 2021 spring carnival after being hit with three-month bans for the illegal gathering in August.
A cleaner called in to deal with the mess found blood stains on the couch and red wine splattered on the floor.
Police broke up the party after receiving complaints from neighbours.
The same month the owner of a short stay rental was fined $10,900 during a police blitz on lockdown violators on the Mornington Peninsula.
A further four $1860 penalties were issued to guests caught staying at the property which had been rented via the Airbnb website.