LOOPHOLES NEED CLOSING

THE skyrocketing number of complaints from neighbours about Airbnbs being used as party houses reinforces the need for strict guidelines.

Like Uber did with the taxi industry, the short-term rental phenomenon has transformed the holiday sector – and authorities must move with the times.

Last year, Gold Coasters raked in more than $1 million a week by putting their homes and rentals on Airbnb.

The short-term accommodation giant said visitors to the city put

$53 million into the pockets of Glitter Strip property owners in 2018.

Year on year, the number of listings on the Gold Coast jumped 67 per cent, Airbnb said, and on average each host made $6000.

That might be good news for home and unit owners looking to supplement their income, but regulators have to think carefully about the impact on the existing accommodation industry and the quality of life of neighbours.

Another short-term accommodation giant, Stayz, last week called on the State Government to take action on holiday rentals and endorse a statewide register and mandatory code of conduct.

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

The State Government said a formal response to a draft code of conduct presented by an industry reference group “would be made public in coming months”. It was expected to be released late last year.

Despite the council crackdown on complaints, body corporate leaders say they are “powerless” to take action.

It prompted the Unit Owners Association of Queensland to last year wage war on short-term accommodation by calling on the Gold Coast and Brisbane City councils to fine a hotel operator and mum and dad AirBnB renters for breaching the Building Act.

The association said unit owners were supposed to be protected by the Act, which bans short-term accommodation in Class 2 buildings.

However, management lawyers said the move would destroy the Gold Coast and Queensland’s hotel industry because over the past 30 years almost every new building was Class 2 and not Class 3, which are for hotels.

The short-term accommodation wave is upon us. There are more than 7000 Airbnb operators on the Gold Coast. That does not include property owners who have signed with other providers such as Stayz.

Authorities need to act before the wave turns into a tsunami.

The industry desperately needs strict guidelines. All parties in the debate – from disadvantaged neighbours to homeowners looking to rent out rooms and units – must be considered.

But one thing must be sacrosanct. A man’s home is his castle and the peace he enjoyed when buying or building that castle should not encroached because a greedy neighbour or investor wants to make a quick buck illegally.