This Media Release from 12 February 2020 discussing the government response to the short-stay accommodation inquiry for WA has been provided by Hon Rita Saffioti BBus MLA, Minister for Transport; Planning.
- Whole-of-Government response to recommendations of parliamentary inquiry
- Variety of accommodation options essential for thriving tourism industry
- Registration process for all WA accommodation providers to be developed
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The McGowan Government is adopting nearly all of the recommendations arising from the recent parliamentary inquiry into short-stay accommodation.
The whole-of-government response to the 2019 Parliamentary Inquiry Levelling the Playing Field – Managing the impact of the rapid increase of Short-Term Rentals in Western Australia aims to introduce better management of the industry at a community level.
“This is a complex issue,” Planning Minister Rita Saffioti said, “and we acknowledge that local governments across the State have had good and bad experiences in this sector – and that they will have specific requirements that need to be considered moving forward.”
“The real estate industry, planners, developers and local governments need clear guidance on requirements for the short-stay accommodation market and we will take a co-ordinated approach across Government to achieve this,” Ms Saffioti stated.
Led by Jessica Shaw MLA, the inquiry presented 10 recommendations to improve outdated and inconsistent policy governing short-term rentals and create greater certainty for the tourism industry, accommodation providers and guests.
The inquiry found that short-term rentals are a genuine income source for some people and are increasingly widely used by guests; however, there was no regulation of the industry and numerous examples of adverse impacts on neighbours and local communities.
The State Government has adopted a whole-of-government approach to respond to the recommendations, including investigating appropriate regulatory or legislative frameworks that can meet the needs of this rapidly changing sector.
A key recommendation is the adoption of a flexible, low cost and simple registration scheme for all short-term accommodation providers across the State.
Some of the actions to be undertaken include:
- amending land use definitions to differentiate between hosted and un-hosted accommodation;
- investigating the introduction deemed provisions into all planning schemes for hosted accommodation to be exempt from local government approval;
- developing legislative or regulatory mechanisms to require the display of a valid registration number for short-term rentals advertised on online platforms;
- updating strata title guidance to include powers and processes open to strata companies to manage short-term rentals; and
- development of an education campaign to ensure owners, property managers and purchasers are aware of their obligations regarding short-term rental properties.
An interagency working group has now been established and the State Government is committed to working with local governments and accommodation providers to ensure that all short-term rental properties are registered and display a valid registration number.
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This post appears in Strata News #320.
Hon Rita Saffioti BBus MLA, Minister for Transport; Planning
This media release first appeared on the the WA Media Statements website.
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Strata owners need to be made aware of where areas will be designated as short term residency & what rights they have for noise & sundry complaints. Also, who they can complain to about short term problems that can arise from short term occupants eg noise, partying etc.