Proposed short stay laws make sense

The Australian Apartment Advocacy (AAA) has welcomed today’s announcement by the City of Brisbane to introduce local laws governing short stay accommodation in its LGA.

The proposed laws, which was released today for public comment, require planning approval for short stay as well as the appointment of a dedicated property manager to deal with concerns in a timely manner.

Samantha Reece CEO of AAA stated that short stay was the bane of owner occupiers due to anti-social behaviour.

“We have had instances where a bucks party has caused damage to a lift with a repair bill of $100,000 and it’s the Body Corporate that has had to pay for this damage,” Ms Reece said.

“These proposed laws will set a code of conduct for guests, which the property manager will have to enforce and the short stay license will be reviewed annually.

“Furthermore, the City will enforce offences relating to non-compliance.  This firm framework will now offer owners the opportunity to make formal complaints against repeat offender landlords and this returns the power to those people who are calling their apartment their permanent home.” 

The City has also recommended that Government changes the BCCM Act which permits Body Corporates to pass by-laws prohibiting short stay in their building.

Ms Reece stated that short stay was needed considering the Brisbane hotel sector was between 74-90% occupancy, but that the rights of owner occupiers needed to be at the forefront of this accommodation sector.

“We participated in the stakeholder engagement and we are grateful that the City has understood the needs for owner occupiers to enjoy the peace and quiet of their homes and provide them with clear pathways for complaints and reinforcement of the proposed short stay local laws.”