#19845
Whale
Flatchatter

    There’s movement at the short-term rental station!

    I today came across the account of a very recent meeting convened by our local (NSW Regional) Council, and so as not to disclose its identity I’ll simply provide the following extract from Council’s published record of the proceedings, with my editing in brackets:

    “Council is working together with rental property managers in the (area) to ensure holiday property rentals are an enjoyable experience for visitors and permanent residents alike.

    Council has held a workshop with local industry representatives about the Holiday Rental Code (HRC) which was recently adopted.  This Code was prepared by the NSW Real Estate Institute in conjunction with the NSW Government.

    “Council hopes to establish a positive working relationship with property managers ahead of the holiday season” said Council’s Director of Planning and Environmental Services, (name removed).

    “We have had informal and open discussions with local real estate agents to gauge their thoughts on how we can ensure that (area) residents do not face the issues that have occurred elsewhere in NSW” added (name removed).

    “We believe that we can establish responsible and effective management of holiday rentals by working together cooperatively with the industry, local property owners, holiday makers and local residents.”

    The Code outlines a number of responsibilities that are shared by holiday property managers, owners of rental properties and holiday makers to ensure standards are maintained to preserve the amenity of the neighbourhoods.”

    HERE is the Holiday Rental Code that’s referred to above which may indeed be well intentioned, but in my opinion the intention appears to be to have some self-regulation in place to head-off regulation of the State and Local Government variety (who contrary to Council’s report didn’t participate in the development of the HRC), and to steer investor/owners in the direction of those Real Estate Property Managers who are members of the participating Industry Group and are therefore signatories to the Code.

    I would have expected that the procedures embodied in the HRC should already be standard procedures in a properly operated Property Management Business, and frankly I doubt that formalising those and sticking them on the back of the bathroom doors in holiday rental properties will make any difference to the behaviours of those short-term renters who are inclined to ratbaggery or to that of those investor / owners who want nothing more than bums in beds.