Holdfast Bay Council wants Airbnb accommodation redefined as hotels in crackdown on short-term rental party houses

HOLDFAST Bay Council wants Airbnbs and other short-term rentals to be redefined as hotels so State Government law covers them.

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AN ADELAIDE council wants Airbnbs and other short-term rentals to be redefined as hotels so State Government law covers them.

Holdfast Bay elected members agreed to write to Planning Minister Stephan Knoll recommending the change.

Councillor Mikki Bouchee says the reason behind the push is to close a gap in planning regulations.

“There’s nothing in the planning act that identifies anything like Airbnb and other (short term rentals),” Cr Bouchee says.

Holdfast Bay councillor Mikki Bouchee. Picture: Tom Huntley

“We don’t know where these Airbnbs are … it would be appropriate for (the council) to know even in zoning and planning terms where these facilities are.

“It’s like any retail shop or service industry.”

South Australia has one of the most deregulated markets in Australia, allowing owners to rent properties or rooms for short periods without the need of a development application.

This means about 1000 rentals in Adelaide can operate at the same regulatory level as residential properties — raising concerns from neighbouring residents over their ability to stop out-of-control party houses.

Holdfast Bay acting mayor Amanda Wilson said it was important to find the balance “between residents and visitors”.

“We cannot have a large share of residential housing taken up only on weekends or the summer,” she said.

“We want people moving into to apartments to be confident that they will have neighbours, not tourists, next door.

“We also understand that residents may want to rent their houses and appartments out when they are on holidays and that needs to be factored in to the equation.

“We want the government to review how the short-term accommodation market operates with a view to regulating it.”

She said the New South Wales government’s new “toughest in the country” laws to crack down on bad behaviour in the $31 billion short-term letting sector was a good place to start the conversation.

Under the plan announced by NSW Better Regulation Minister Matt Kean and NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts last week, hosts who don’t live at the property will be limited to 180 days rental in the greater Sydney area, while hosts elsewhere in NSW will be allowed 365 days.

There will also be a mandatory code of conduct and changes to the Strata Schemes Management Act, which will allow NSW owners corporations to adopt a by-law, with a 75 per cent majority, preventing short-term letting in their block if the host does not live in the unit.

Holdfast Bay Council will now write to Mr Knoll requesting any rental term of less than 28 days to be defined as being hotel rentals, so “existing planning law covering a hotel would then apply”.

It follows a move by Adelaide City Council to also review regulations surrounding a range of short-stay rentals, such as serviced apartments and Airbnb.

City councillors will be provided a discussion paper this month that will inform them “on the regulatory options available in regulating” the booming short sharing economy.

Major global cities have strict short-term accommodation regulations.

Originally published as Holdfast Bay Council wants Airbnb accommodation redefined as hotels in crackdown on short-term rental party houses