A lobby group wanting to rein in permanent holiday rentals in residential areas have challenged Council to act on what they say are examples in Byron Bay.
Trish Burt, convenor from Neighbours Not Strangers, provided a list of properties to Echonetdaily and Council which appear to be rented out full time as holiday lets in residential areas.
Burt says, ‘Byron Shire Council can/should simply subpoena the booking records from the owner/Airbnb/Stayz/Booking.com’.
When asked to comment, Council staff replied, ‘We will be writing to Trish in response to her email’.
A spokesperson from NSW Fair Trading told Echonetdaily, ‘The Property, Stock and Business Agents Act 2002 (the Act) and the Property, Stock and Business Agents Regulation 2014 (the Regulation) create and regulate the licensing framework for the real estate and property services sector’.
‘Real estate agents who advertise and manage properties for the sole purpose of short-term holiday letting are not automatically in breach of the Act or the Regulation simply based on this action.
‘The owner or occupier of a property has a responsibility to ensure that the property is not used for any purpose that is prohibited by local council planning regulations and other laws, including ensuring the property is not occupied by more people than are allowed, and that the use of the property does not create a nuisance or hazard to other property owners or occupiers.’
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