› Flat Chat Strata Forum › Living in strata › Strata defence: Get your Airbnb by-laws in now › Current Page
I have just read the Age article in which the Tenants Union supported the tenants’ “rights” to sublet their apartment.
“Tenants should have the right to utilise the property as they wish, so long as they are upholding their responsibilities as a tenant,” policy officer Yaelle Caspi said.
“We don’t see why this is any different to a tenant having a friend or family member stay as a guest.”
Well, my friends, you have just blown any argument you have ever had about housing shortages right out of the water.
Short-term lets make more money for the proprietors of the unit that residential rents – just ask Airbnb … it’s there on their website. So the next time you are whining about the lack of low-cost housing, think about how you have just endorsed landlords who are exploiting residential properties as holiday rentals.
And think about how you have encouraged tenants to ignore the wishes of their community in a apartment block just so they can make a few extra dollars. Shame on you!
We salute and support Tenants’ Unions’ efforts to protect renters across Australia -but that doesn’t mean renters are always right and landlords are always wrong.
Clearly the Victorian Tenants Union is more concerned about the freedom of renters to do what they want with their properties than the effects of short-term letting on the residential property market.
Please join VCAT in the clown section until you can come up with a more measured response to this assault on housing affordability.