Roundup: Airbnb report is in .. and it’s not good

This week’s strata news is going to be dominated by the release of the report into short-stay letting.

I’ll let you wait until Wednesday when all will be revealed (in the SMH and online) but suffice it to say that we have, once again, been sold down the river by MPs who don’t understand strata living and, to be honest, don’t seem to really care.

Apparently I was mentioned at the inquiry as someone who is against Airbnb and other online holiday rental companies. I’m not.  I think they are a great idea and I have used them myself.

However, I am against liars and there is a fundamental lie, constantly perpetuated by the purveyors of short-stay letting, that it is all about granny renting her spare room so she can pay for her hip replacement and have a little company while she’s waiting for it.

In fact, more than 60 percent of online short-stay rentals are for the whole home and about a third of hosts have more than one property.  It’s a business – and a bloody big one too – so go sell your ‘sharing economy’ hug-fest BS somewhere else.  I ain’t buying.

And on that irritated note, let’s have a look at what has been riling the Flat Chat faithful this week.

What do you do when the owner can’t be found and the levies are unpaid?  That’s HERE

Why it’s a good idea to wait a few weeks before you deal with abandoned furniture on common property.  That’s HERE.

What do you do when floorboard that were covered with carpet are suddenly re-epsosed by a renovator who was selling his apartment?  Click HERE