A new local law aimed at managing the impact of short-stay properties on residential amenity is set to take effect next year.
Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart said the Short-Stay Letting Local Law would also protect guests by introducing minimum safety standards property owners will need to meet.
“This Local Law gives us a practical tool – over and above the planning scheme – to ensure short-stay property owners are being good neighbours and dealing with issues as they arise,” the Mayor said.
An estimated 86 per cent of Noosa’s short-stay accommodation operators are based outside of Noosa Shire with 51 per cent of those also outside of Queensland.
“With the state shelving its plans for a state-wide framework and our community calling out for controls on the use of residential properties for short-stay accommodation, we must act.”
The new local law will require owners to appoint a manager or contact person, with the complaints hotline number and approval number to be displayed on the front of the property.
“The contact person must be available 24/7, be located within 20 kilometres of the short-stay property and respond to all complaints within 30 minutes,” the Mayor said.
The local law introduces an approval for short-stay and home-hosted properties to take effect from February 2022, which is renewed annually, plus rules around vehicle and trailer parking.
Council will establish a 24-hour complaints hotline and trial the use of a security firm to monitor problem properties.
The Mayor said guests would have to comply with a code of conduct, with the property manager or contact person responsible for enforcing it.
“We’ll develop a suite of educational resources to support the short-stay industry with the introduction of the new local law, including a Good Management Guide for both short-stay letting and home-hosted accommodation providers,” Mayor Stewart said.
“The guide and other factsheets, plus information about the complaints process and hotline number, will be available on a dedicated webpage.”
The Mayor said council would recoup some of the administration costs through fees and property rates by way of a special rating category introduced this year.
“The fees will take effect next year, subject to council’s budget process.”