Long-term owners pay price for Airbnb’s shortcomings

REGARDING your article on Airbnb (‘Hotels at risk in Airbnb

war’, GCB, 27/6/18). Under the Building Code short-term stays are banned in my building. Nevertheless it has a constant stream of people staying for a week or less.

One group of 12 boys who stayed for a week must have thought it was funny when they defaecated in the swimming pool.

Another owner’s mother was dying in her unit and holidaymakers were having a loud party on the balcony. They refused to quieten down despite being asked three times to do so and her mother was forced to die in a nightmare of drunken screaming.

Another owner who had to get up early to go to work was constantly kept awake by Airbnb renters. Many holidaymakers are uncaring when it comes to causing discomfort to others because they know they will be gone in a couple of days. It is overly dramatic for any lawyer to say that it would “destroy Queensland’s hotel industry” because it is the illegal operation of Class 2 buildings and Airbnb that is destroying the genuine hotel industry who have done the right thing and thus incurred higher building costs.

Hotel operators provide much more employment than illegally operated Class 2 buildings so enforcement is good for Queensland employment.

I can only urge council to show far greater regard for people who have bought into long-term accommodation in the expectation that Queensland has and honours its own Building Code.

Otherwise council should compensate long-term owners when they are forced to move on due to unabated noise issues.