No pups allowed at Jo Haylen’s Airbnb beach house after Labor unveils pet-friendly renting policy

A Labor MP’s Airbnb beach house has a no pup rule, in contrast to the party’s pet-friendly renting law policy announcement on Sunday.

Summer Hill MP Jo Haylen's Caves Beach House, a short-term rental, doesn't allow pets. Picture: Airbnb

A Labor frontbencher who helped to announced the party’s much vaunted new “pet-friendly” policy for rentals has banned pets at her own personal short-term rental property.

Shadow transport spokeswoman Jo Haylen, and MP for Summer Hill in Sydney’s Inner West, lists ‘no pets’ as a house rule on her Caves Beach Airbnb property she owns and lists with her husband Garth.

The four-bedroom beach house on the Central Coast can host eight guests, but doesn’t accommodate any furry four-legged friends.

Although not like-for-like, the no pets rule at the MP’s Caves Beach property is in contrast to Labor’s newly announced pet-friendly rental policy, which Ms Haylen helped unveil on Sunday.

Summer Hill MP Jo Haylen's Caves Beach House, a short-term rental, doesn't allow pets. Picture: Airbnb

The property is only a short-term holiday rental as opposed to a long-term let, which Labor’s proposed policy covers. The proposed policy would give landlords of long-term rental properties a set 21-day period to respond to a request for a pet from their tenant.

If they fail to respond within that time, the request will be automatically approved and the tenant can legally have their pet.

Under the proposed law, landlords could still refuse a request, however they would have to provide a reasonable excuse for not allowing the pet.

The Airbnb listing for the property describes the retreat as “perfect for kids or those young at heart” and is only a 15 minute walk to Caves Beach.

Summer Hill MP Jo Haylen's Caves Beach House, a short-term rental, doesn't allow pets. Picture: Airbnb

MP Jo Haylen. Picture: Dylan Coker

The proposed policy was announced by Chris Minns and other senior Labor figures on Sunday in Enfield.

“Just because a person lives in a rental, it doesn’t mean they can’t make it a home, and for so many people renting across our state that includes a family pet,” Labor leader Mr Minns said at the announcement.

When Ms Haylen’s office was approached for comment a Labor spokesman said: “this is not Labor’s policy, short-term rentals are not included.”

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Originally published as No pups allowed at Jo Haylen’s Airbnb beach house after Labor unveils pet-friendly renting policy