CRAM THEM IN - HOMES-BY-THE-HOUR

News of the alleged rape and murder of a Melbourne Airbnb client by his three ‘hosts’ has spread globally; not just across English-speaking regions. Police have reportedly laid charges.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson recently visited Sydney, spoke at a Town Hall function, and we understand met with housing advocates, all hosted by Clover Moore. With a rental vacancy rate of near zero, Vancouver is being pressed to act on commercial short-term rentals. Despite receiving prior knowledge of Mr Robertson’s visit, our request to meet with him, however so briefly, was declined.

Community Activist Groups - Homes Not Hotels – No Airbnb, Fairbnb.ca, @Miteymiss @VISTRO11 @yyjagainststvrs etc – are given Media space in Canada and are receiving floods of reports from neighbours relaying the addresses and links to illegal Airbnb-type rentals. Here, groups @SISTRO11 and Neighbours Not Strangers go largely unknown to the community, fault of no Media coverage.

City of Sydney Councillors use Twitter to voice concerns about the loss of #livemusic venues. Meanwhile, Airbnb plans to grow Live Music Biz in Global Living Rooms Concerts…next to you.

We’re sending a ‘shout out’ to Leichhardt Residents: 57a Albert Street Leichhardt is now listed as a ‘Multi-Use Area’, “$150/hr, $1,000/day, $4,000/week, 110sqm, perfect for 30 people”. Seven can rent ‘a desk in room’ (70sqm squeeze) at Newton for $109/week each, six can share 40sqm at Manly at $180/week per person, or 70 can hire a loading dock (58sqm) in Paddington at $45/hour. Then 75 can co-share a 200sqm house in Surry Hills for $2,500/day, or 60 can hire a 100sqm ‘KidzLounge’ at Bondi Junction for $77/hour, or a desk (total 10sqm) overlooking Leichhardt’s Italian Forum for $350/week. And how to block the nightly rental of the roof terrace next door to you – 100 people – every night at Surry Hills? Most properties have multiple ‘spaces’ assigned and rented. So, just how many bodies do you reckon your neighbours can cram in next to your home and rent by the hour…and exactly what are these properties being used for?

This is all thanks to Spacely, the ASX listed REA Group Ltd, and Australia’s answer to Breather, PivotDesk, LiquidSpace, ShareDesk, plus 100s of others. Go do your own research; we’re tired of linking you.

Meanwhile, Airbnb’s Brent Thomas – holder of a Law degree/former staffer to NSW Labor Minister – is ‘warning’ South Australia legislators’: “As the election fast approaches, our message to all sides of politics is simple, leave the fair, innovative rules for home sharing as they are.”