SHORT-TERM rental provider Stayz wants proposed local laws regulating “party houses” on the Mornington Peninsula to be rescinded once the state government introduces blanket controls.
Under the shire’s proposed laws, which it says are the first of their kind in the state, a registration system will be introduced for owners of short stay rental accommodation.
Property owners will be required to nominate an appointed agent who must respond to neighbours’ complaints within two hours.
A code of conduct will govern the number of occupants and establish expectations for their behaviour, as well as setting rules on car parking and rubbish disposal.
The aim of the proposed law is to address the impacts of anti-social behaviour by occupants of short stay rental accommodation properties across the peninsula.
But Stayz wants the proposed local laws to be dropped when the state government’s sweeping state-wide regulations come into force, possibly early next year.
The company’s government relations chief Eacham Curry said Mornington Peninsula Shire had “made some good first attempts at running a consultative process that seems to be a genuine step forward to improve the industry”.
“However, Stayz continues to have concerns about some parts of the proposed local law,” he said.
“There is no guarantee from council that this is a temporary measure that will be rescinded once the state government moves ahead with its regulatory solution for the entire state.”
Stayz suggested a state-wide regulatory process would be “more efficient and easier to enforce” in its original submission to the council in September.
“If different levels of government were to have conflicting regulations, it would damage the sector and be hard to enforce,” Mr Curry said.
The shire’s environment protection manager John Rankine said the proposed local law would be “subordinate” to state government legislation.
“If the state government passes legislation on this matter then the parts of the local law that are different become inoperative,” he said.
“The shire supports an effective solution for the whole of the state to ensure consistency.”
Stayz is pushing for a three-strike rule for homeowners. “We are concerned about the single-strike policy and think it should be removed,” Mr Curry said.
“The additional restrictions on car parking and use of outdoor spaces infringe on the property rights of homeowners and should be re-drafted to focus on directly addressing amenity concerns.
“There is little information about the proposed fee or process for registering a property for use on a short-term rental platform.
“Onerous costs or processes will discourage people from listing their homes and drive up the cost of holiday accommodation.
“Registration should be approved for all applications meeting the criteria. We are concerned about the level of discretion available when accessing applications.”
The shire’s Short Stay Rental Accommodation Local Law (Draft) is on display until 5pm, Friday 7 December, at mornpen.vic.gov.au/haveyoursay
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 21 November 2017
