Council code of conduct bans ‘yelling, clapping, cheering, singing’ at short stay rentals

RESIDENTS of one of Victoria’s most popular tourist spots are getting the support of the local council in ridding the region of loud noises.

ONE of Victoria’s most visited regions is banning clapping, according to pamphlets sent to local residents by council.

Mornington Peninsula Shire, south of Melbourne, letterboxed residents recently with news of changes to its short term rental code of conduct.

The code applies to owners and residents of short stay accommodation in the region, including those who book a place to stay via Airbnb or similar service providers.

In it, the council declares “the owner must control and be responsible for the behaviour of occupants and residents of the dwelling”.

That responsibility includes ensure there is no “aggressive behaviour, yelling, screaming, arguing, cheering, clapping or singing”.

There’s also to be no swimming or use of spas or outdoor decks between 11pm and 7am.

Under the council’s policy, it notes that “over 1.6 million people stay overnight when visiting the Peninsula each year, making it the third largest short stay rental accommodation destination in Australia.

Dromana and Safety Beach on the Mornington Peninsula, where residents are keen for a bit of shush. Picture: Chris Eastman/AAP

“The Mornington Peninsula Shire Council welcomes greater numbers of visitors to the region, but must also ensure that the local communities continue to enjoy the benefits the area has to offer.”

Owners are also to be forced to pay a registration fee of $100 when putting properties up for rent on short term accommodation rental sites.

Local woman Belinda Rodman, who rents out her Martha’s Cove property on Airbnb, told Fairfax the council had “over-reacted”.

“There were some houses down on the beaches that were party houses and there’s no doubt that would have been disruptive to neighbours,” Ms Rodman said.

“But to punish everyone with short-term accommodation, I don’t think that’s fair.”

The council told real estate website Domain the measures were required due to the number of complaints being received about visitor behaviour.

Nearby Frankston Council cracked down on a notorious party house in the area in June, taking the owner to court following a number of complaints about rowdy behaviour from guests.

Holdfast Bay Council in Adelaide called for better regulations in June and Sunshine Coast Council in Queensland enforced a new levy for accommodation providers which starts at $387 annually.

According to the Sunshine Coast Daily, 14,000 properties in the region are offering short-term accommodation.

Deputy Mayor Tim Dwyer said the council was aware of what that meant for the “character” of residential streets.

“We know that people have talked about the character of their residential area and how important it is to them,” Mr Dwyer said.

This home in North Melbourne was trashed by partygoers who rented it via Booking.com. Picture: Ian Currie

Party houses advertised on Airbnb or Stayz or Booking.com made headlines earlier this year in Victoria.

A property in Hawthorn was trashed during an out-of-control party in July. A townhouse in North Melbourne saw dozens of youths escorted from the premises by police after that property was also trashed.

Resident Meg Moorhouse told reporters the group was “aggressive” and residents were afraid. She said nobody wants to live next door to a property that hosts wild parties.

“It’s a resident’s nightmare to have short-term property starting up a business in your street,” she said.

The property is managed by Melbourne-based company Roomerang on behalf of an owner who lives overseas. Roomerang markets itself as “an end-to-end short stays team” helping owners “achieve higher rental cashflow”.

A spokesman for the company told news.com.au they “didn’t think the group was anything to be concerned about” but admitted those who rented the property were “unsavoury characters”.