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Hi Jimmy
Any idea how the City of Sydney is going to monitor and legislate its recommendation to Parliament that people can rent out rooms in homes as long as they, the resident, are there? We’ve had Airbnb adverts for units in our building, listed as ‘private room’, yet when the reviews are posted, frequently it has said that those visiting were “left alone to enjoy the building” or, “there were other Airbnb guests in the other bedrooms”.
I was at a Meeting of the City of Sydney when the Lord Mayor tabled a ‘Minute‘ of just some of the correspondence the Council had had with the NSW Parliament requesting action against short-term letting.
There’s also a copy of Hansard I have when Sydney’s Lord Mayor was a State MP – she’s asking the Parliament questions. It’s headed: “Protecting Apartment Residents from Impacts of Short-Term Accommodation”. For some reason I can’t now find it on the NSW Parliament’s website – strange or what?
On 01 OCT 15, after a request from the City of Sydney, the NSW Land and Envirionment Court placed Orders on our residential property banning short-term letting – the Orders include a lovely Penal Notice threatening imprissonment, sequestration of property and a fine ($1.1 million) if the Orders are breached.
And then on 09 NOV 15 the City of Sydney makes recommendations to the NSW State Parliament that short-term letting of residential properties should be classed ‘Exempt Development’, meaning, short-term let to your heart’s content anywhere, anytime, anyhow – you don’t need permission from Council plus if your neighbours complain, there’s nothing ‘illegal’ about the activity so nowhere to take your complaint.
With all this, the City of Sydney’s Submission to Parliament doesn’t make sense – to me it’s an absolute backflip.
There are reports from San Francisco that Airbnb paid out US$8 million in donations in its efforts to defeat legislation aimed at reining in its activities. Wondering if this sort of activate has gone on here, under the name of ‘political donations’, with a view to changing our Legislation which has repeatedly worked and worked and worked. One hears that Victoria would give anything to have our Legislation!
And I guess if the State Parliament accept the City of Sydney’s recommendations, our Court Orders and our 10-months of peace and quiet gets thrown to the winds?
I reckon Planning and Zoning Laws are only as good as the enforcement of those behind them. If the zoning laws aren’t enforced, what’s the good of having any legislation? It comes down to trust in Legislators to enforce the laws. And if they won’t enforce the Law, the Legislators might as well not be there.