Council resolved at this week’s meeting to request officers report back on how to regulate short-stay accommodation in the City of Yarra to help ease cost-of-living pressures and improve rental affordability.
The report, which was a result of Cr Wade’s Notice of Motion, will investigate the ways Council can regulate short-stay accommodation including the introduction of a cap on the number of days a property can be on the market and a registration fee for Airbnb properties.
Other Victorian councils recently introduced fees for short-stay accommodation providers, with Warrnambool City Council recently introducing a $400 fee for Airbnb properties and Mornington Peninsula Shire, Bass Coast Council and Yarra Ranges Council all charging fees for short stay properties.
Other cities around the world have also been grappling with significant changes to housing brought on by the success of short-stay accommodation providers. In November 2021, the NSW government introduced short stay regulations, limiting the number of days a property could be on the market.
Overseas, many main cities regulate their short stay market, including Amsterdam, New York, London, Paris and Berlin among others.
According to Inside Airbnb, the City of Yarra has 1,608 properties available for short stays with 79.2% of them entire homes.
Yarra Mayor Claudia Nguyen said we need to do what we can to address rental affordability in Yarra.
“In the City of Yarra, 50% of our residents are renters, so it’s up to Council to consider how we can support our community during this cost-of-living and rental crisis, and Cr Wade’s important motion will allow us to explore this,” she said.
A report will be presented at a future Council Meeting.