I am a resident of more than 35 years in the Byron Shire. I have lived in many suburbs and witnessed first-hand the destructive nature of a whole-house Airbnb. The people in the continual whole house rental are not a neighbour that you can connect with, or communicate with when you have concerns about noise or inappropriate behaviour that may be disturbing to oneself or the community. I have had friends very successfully rent out a small studio, some even two studios, when they live onsite and can monitor any issues with badly behaving guests that otherwise cannot be monitored.
My suggestion is that the cap be 90 days on whole houses across the whole Shire and no cap placed on a host who is in residence. This allows people to have holiday access to a whole house for a limited time; also hosts can earn extra money from the tourist industry in a more sustainable way for the whole community. Everyone can benefit from this simple solution to a huge issue in the Byron Shire.
I see a whole-house rental as a business. Why are we allowing a business to operate in suburbia when other industries would not be allowed, either owing to noise, disturbance, or traffic issues, which also seem to be created by an excess of guests in a whole- house Airbnb?
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
