Airbnb must take more control to stop wild parties, top cop says

Victoria’s top cop has hit out at Airbnb and other online short-term rental platforms over a recent string of wild parties.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Victoria’s police chief has hit out at Airbnb and other online short-term rental platforms over a recent string of wild parties, saying they need to impose stronger checks on guests.

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton’s comments come as the Seven Network faces a backlash from advertisers over a controversial report on African youth crime in Melbourne.

South Sudanese leader Ring Mayar told The Australian yesterday that owners of Airbnb ‘‘party houses” had to share blame for wild gatherings and called for more stringent checks on potential renters. He also accused the media of “unfair reporting” and of breaking anti-discrimination laws.

Mr Ashton said he did not agree that individual owners shared blame in wild parties but online short-term rental platforms had to have strong checks on who could apply for houses and apartments.

“(I’m) not sure about Airbnb owners but Airbnb themselves, we’d like to make sure the sites that they operate are doing due diligence on the rentals so that owners, if they want to rent out, can do so in a manner that’s most safe for them and most safe for neighbours,’’ he said.

Recent out-of-control parties in Hawthorn, Footscray and North Melbourne, linked to youths of African appearance, have left short-term rentals trashed and seen both neighbours and police attacked.

Mr Ashton said safety had to be a greater focus on Airbnb and similar enterprises.

Meanwhile, the Seven Network has lost advertising because of a segment on “African gangs” it screened on its flagship current affairs program Sunday Night on July 5.

Kitchen and laundry business Winning Appliances announced on Twitter yesterday it would pull future commercials for Sunday Night after an online campaign to boycott the program for its coverage of youth crime.