AIRBNB COMPLAINTS TRIPLE

THE number of complaints about Airbnbs being used as party houses has tripled in a year as homeowners look to avoid government fees.

Residents are complaining about wild drug parties where up to 20 people gather inside two-bedroom apartments.

In one instance, residents in Surfers Paradise complained about being threatened by partygoers at their three-level apartment building.

“Activities included throwing drink bottles in the river, smoking pot, urinating over the balcony, using rocks to keep open the main security doors to the building for their guests to arrive,” the complaint to council read.

THE number of complaints about Airbnbs being used as party houses has tripled in a year as homeowners look to avoid government fees.

Residents are complaining about wild drug parties where up to 20 people gather inside two-bedroom apartments.

In one instance, residents in Surfers Paradise complained about being threatened by partygoers at their three-level apartment building.

“Activities included throwing drink bottles in the river, smoking pot, urinating over the balcony, using rocks to keep open the main security doors to the building for their guests to arrive,” the complaint to the Gold Coast City Council read.

In a letter to real estate agents, the building’s body corporate sought to “breach” the tenant after discovering he was allegedly advertising the twobedroom unit as an Airbnb which could accommodate 11 people.

It said the noise from drunken guests had continued until 2am and gas cartridges were found in a common area due to “kids sucking on nitrous oxide”.

“There has been no application to the council for a material change of use for this premises and it would be unlikely it would granted by the

council,” a resident said. “So it would seem this is a business (operated by the tenant) on renting units on the Gold Coast then advertising them as Airbnbs illegally and making no attempt to spend the $6000 to $8000 for a material change of use with the council.

“If it were to be granted it would mean an increase in rates and a change in insurance policies to reflect the new status of the property as a short-term rental.”

After investigating, council officers said they were “satisfied the breach was remedied” and said the short-term accommodation had stopped at the unit.

The council said it received 168 complaints about shortterm rentals in 2018, up from 45 in 2017 and 28 in 2016.

Fifty complaints have been filed this year.

“In the majority of cases the council is successful in achieving compliance through the serving of notices and the short-term accommodation ceasing,” a council

spokesperson told the Bulletin.

In 2016, 2000 Airbnb operators made an estimated profit of $14 million.

This was tipped to increase by 250 per cent, with profits reaching $89 million, by 2018.

In its latest annual report, Destination Gold Coast said Airbnb-style rentals had skyrocketed to about 7000 operators.

“Beyond just Airbnb, the share economy accounts for some 10,000 beds on the Gold Coast and it is likely to continue to affect official occupancy rates,” the report said.

Mayor Tom Tate said: “I encourage visitors to stay in our dedicated hotels and resorts. These companies have invested billions in their products and employ thousands of locals.

“Residing at hotels and resorts ensures their employees remain in the workforce.”

Accommodation giant Stayz last week called on the Queensland Government to take action on short-term rentals, nine months after the Tourism Minister committed to a draft code of conduct.

Stayz wants a statewide register of holiday rentals and a mandatory code of conduct.

“A code of conduct will give the wider community more certainty that complaints about noise, overcrowding or antisocial behaviour will be dealt with swiftly and decisively,” said Eacham Curry, Stayz director of government and corporate affairs.

A government spokesman said a formal response to a draft code of conduct for short-term rents presented by an industry reference group “would be made public in coming months”.

Despite the council crackdown, body corporate leaders have told the Bulletin their committees cannot take action.

“We are powerless. Body corporates have no power to stop short-term rentals,” a body corporate leader at the Surfers Paradise unit block said.

“The anomaly here is that the Queensland Strata Title Act doesn’t allow the body corporate to dictate the type of rental for units, unless it is for commercial purposes.

“The Act doesn’t define short-term rentals as commercial activities, yet the council does and applies rates appropriately. The council is generally happy for short-term rentals as it gets an increase in rates.”