AIRBNB – EVERY NEIGHBOUR & POLICE OFFICERS’ WORST NIGHTMARE

Victoria Police report: “Four women charged following a serious assault of sergeant and constable in Glen Iris.” The female sergeant and male constable were responding to a ‘noise complaint’ from a party being held at a short-term rental in Malvern Road on Sunday 10 January. The female sergeant sustained concussion as a result. “While she was on the ground, she was kicked in the body, the face; this is a serious assault.” If found guilty, the offenders could each face a minimum of six months in jail. The charges include: “assault police, intentionally cause injury and unlawful assault.” Following the attack on the Police Officers and the arrival of the Media, the listing – ‘Entire flat – Glen Iris, Space, light & convenience’ – disappeared from Airbnb’s website. The apartment at 1537 Malvern Road was last sold in November 2020. Neighbours report that this is only the third booking organised by the off-site owner. One resident writes that Airbnb’s clients were jumping into neighbours’ yards and streaming through their building until 7:30am the following morning. Neighbours in the complex also report feeling ‘indignant and scared’. They claim another nearby residential property is being listed for short-term rentals, “and used as a brothel for nine straight months every weekend for sex parties”.

The Sydney Morning Herald has run a feature article on Harry Seidler, the ‘great disruptor’. Featured is Berman House in the Southern Highlands. The SMH’s text starts with: “What would Harry do?” Indeed, what would Harry do, were he alive today to see his Berman House listed on Airbnb for $2,600/night by ‘Contemporary Hotels’ - 60 Airbnb listings. The journalist, Julie Power, appeared ‘surprised’ – “is that real?” - when we alerted her via Twitter of this listing.

John Gudgeon from Holiday Letting Organisation has a piece in the latest Byron Echo (page 2). We would prefer not to say that the use of lies is what dominates the position put; instead, one might suggest that Mr Gudgeon has failed to read Justice Rachel Pepper’s Land and Environment Court (LEC) judgment or, as others are known to do, has used ‘alternative facts’ and offered these for publication. Senior LEC colleagues of Justice Pepper have, as we have written in previous media releases, volunteered to us that the case law referenced by John Gudgeon – Dobrohotoff v Bennic - is the ‘go to’ legal precedent when dealing with illegal short-term rentals in New South Wales. We have in the Echo today what we believe to be a clear distortion of factual case law, as documented by the Land and Environment Court of NSW.

Funny how Better Regulation Minister Kevin Anderson promised us he would be ‘right onto’ our advising him of former NSW LNP MPs blocking residential Lot Owners from listing motions for General Strata Meetings - motions seeking by-laws to halt short-term rentals in neighbouring dwellings. What did our Minister for Fair Trading do? He too, along with NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres and Airbnb ‘king pin’ John Barilaro, promptly blocked us on social media.

Here too is a ‘shout out’ to Clarence Valley Council. Local Residents know Council is steadfastly refusing to enforce residential zoning, giving Airbnb, Stayz and Local Real Estate Agents free rein on homes in their residential neighbourhoods. And residents are not impressed, saying: “If we go five minutes over the parking limit anywhere, Council stings us with a bloody $200 fine. But illegal short-term rentals?” You’re ‘on-the-nose’ Tweed Council, as is every other Local Government Authority across NSW.

Homes not Hotels Communities not Transit Zones People before Profits

Neighbours not Strangers