While things are looking grim for many people in Noosa, there’s one group doing very nicely…and most of them don’t even live here.
Over 2,000 owners of properties already registered for Short Stay Accommodation will collect more than $32-million in rent before they pay their first Council fees – in June 2023.
And over 2,000 more were still to register at the end of June, but were collecting rent anyway – another $32-million, give or take.
The net profit from these commercial businesses is banked outside Noosa, as 80 per cent of Short Term Accommodation business owners/investors/speculators live elsewhere.
To register properties for Short Stay Accommodation,, owners pay a fee of $320 for a unit and $950 for a house.
In many cases the fee would be less than one night’s rent. Owners are then supposed to pay an annual renewal fee of $150 each financial year.
Council waived registration fees for those registering before June 30, then gave a further waiver for this year’s renewal. A generous gesture with our money.
The waivers mean Council will forego about $1.5m in registration fees and about $400,000 in renewal fees on ratepayers’ behalf.
These fees are supposed to pay for the costs of the Short Stay Local Law, including costs of the twocompliance officers employed last January.
Many advocates of the Short Stay Letting Local Law, including Residents Against Unregulated Short Term Renting (RAUSTR), wanted implementation and administration costs to be met fully by the businesses that are raking in the rental profits, not Noosa ratepayers.
The new law is intended to rein in bad behaviour by renters, and reduce community impacts. But the slow-paced registration rate means many renters may not know of the steps Council recommends to protect the amenity of Noosa voters, including:
– the Code of Practice that Noosa Council wants renters to observe;
– the recommended times to end outdoor gatherings and pool use; and
– ceilings on the numbers of renters for each dwelling.
The late registering owners may not have met the new compliance requirements, including over-sighting neighbouring properties, outside lighting standards and off street car parking.
If there is bad behaviour, many residents will not have a property identification number when lodging a complaint.
There is no penalty for the Short Term Accommodation owners who don’t register, and no cut-off time for registrations.
Those who live next door to Short Term Accommodation businesses (previously known as neighbours) are, through their rates, helping to fund this generosity from our Council. They’re not happy about it.
