The arguments for restricting short-term holiday rentals are well established but bear repeating in order to negate disinformation spread by the letting industry:
• Destruction of local community neighbourhood values of togetherness, sharing, mutual support.
• Disruption for local residents, through noise, parties, parking congestion, bins abused and left out.
• Significant loss of amenity for local residents – peace, community, quality of life
• Reduction in medium and long-term rental availability for local people.
• Byron housing stock reassigned to STHR has increased more than 260 per cent in just three years. In Launceston Tasmania, 67 per cent of STHR were previously long-term rentals, source: Peter Phibbs, Emeritus Professor, UNSW.
• The rental vacancy rate in the Northern Rivers is 1.3 per cent, the lowest in NSW.
• Average rents in Byron are now 48 per cent of average household income, the highest in all of NSW.
• STHR causes further downward pressure on the already crisis-level of social housing at below 2 per cent of housing stock.
• Increase in homelessness and rough sleeping (Byron is second only to Sydney in rough sleeping).
• Staff shortages at local businesses and public services because workers cannot find accommodation – teachers, nurses, child and aged care, waiters, chefs, cleaners, artists, musicians, drivers etc.
• Many STHR properties are unregistered, uncontrolled, unmonitored
• Failure by owners to declare income or pay capital gains tax by pretending it is the principal residence.
• Residential streets are not meant to be home to pseudo hotels, with different tenants and cleaners frequently coming and going.
Byron needs to follow the lead of other far-thinking tourist destinations. Why should our Shire, one of the busiest tourist hot-spots in Australia, be any different from elsewhere?
• Brisbane – implemented a 50 per cent rate hike where STHR lettings exceed two months each year.
• Los Angeles – STHR restricted to principal home only, where owner must reside for at least six months per year, maximum 120 days per year.
• Amsterdam – maximum 30 nights per year, no more than 4 adults at a time
New York City – minimum 30 days per letting and only for one home per owner
• Mallorca – STHR banned
• Paris – maximum 120 days per year, no subletting, huge fines on landlords and Airbnb.
• San Francisco – maximum 90 nights per year plus hotel tax.
• Barcelona – all STHR must be registered, no new permits since 2014
• Japan – maximum 180 days per year, registration and inspections under hotel licensing laws.
New Orleans – maximum 90 days per year and banned in French Quarter.
Reykjavik – maximum 90 days per year and maximum earnings A$10,300 per year.
It seems obvious that in the interests of ALL of the people of our shire, residents, businesses, renters, employees and the homeless, short term holiday lettings must be severely restricted before any further damage is done to our community. If your readers wish to make a submission they must do so by 8 March 2023 to www.ipcn.nsw.gov.au
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