AIRBNB - YOU CAN'T KNOCK THEM OFF WITH A STICK

Channel 7 personality, David Koch, recently shared ‘tips’ on how to save money while on holidays. Considering the damage suffered to his property during his tenancy in a Sydney building overrun with short-term rentals, many wondered where such support for Airbnb and Expedia(Stayz) was coming from. Ohhh Channel 7’s Instant Hotels!

And to this week’s episode with Mother/Daughter Babe and Bondi Scott and their four apartments at 125 Hall Street, Bondi – a Class 2 (Building Codes of Australia) residential flat building. Waverley Council, overrun with short-term rentals, has documentation on file which states that Babe and Bondi’s flats “will comply with appropriate Australian Standards and the Building Code of Australia”.

With an ‘award winning’ Senior Strategic Planner, why is Waverley probably “the most penetrated” Airbnb Local Government Area in the world? Could it be that their Tim Sneesby’s regular use of Airbnb, as disclosed at a Sydney University forum, hampers willingness to enforce Zoning Legislation?

Babe and Bondi Scott have no apparent fear about enforcement over their ‘illegal use’ of residential housing – their properties, dubbed ‘Bondi Oasis’, are listed on Agoda, Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, Stayz, Wotif, Hotel.com, Bedandbreakfast.com, Tripadvisor.com, Homeaway.com, Yourhomeawayfromhome.com…and on, and on, and on... Airbnb and Expedia(Stayz) have no intention of complying with legislation – in the Byron Shire Airbnb is recruiting staff, probably to spite Byron’s Councillors.