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Aussie Airbnb hosts spark outrage over common act: 'Glue the locks'

Fed up with unsightly lock boxes, Brisbane property owners are taking matters into their own hands.

Frustrated Queenslanders have called out Airbnb hosts over a number of key lock boxes attached to a fence in South Brisbane, which prompted the adjoining property's owners to leave a threatening note.

A Reddit user posted a picture of the note and put the blame squarely on Airbnb hosts, who are known to allow self check-in via the use of such combination lock boxes.

"This is to notify the owners of all padlocks, chains and key boxes/safes attached to this gate. You are trespassing on private property: you do not have permission to chain your key boxes/safes to this fence," the note reads.

Note threatening to remove Airbnb hosts' key lock boxes from fence
The author of the note promises to remove any remaining lock boxes, which locals claim belong to Airbnb hosts. Source: Reddit/FantasticChange7018

The sign goes on to state that the owner of the fence on Hope Street will get rid of any lock boxes that remain after the specified date: "We will be cutting them off and removing them from this fence on the 31st of May 2023."

Lock boxes holding Airbnb keys are generally affixed to the host's own home, but Redditors suggested in this instance they've been left on a neighbouring fence to avoid issues with management at nearby apartment buildings that don't permit holiday accommodation.

"The South Brisbane apartment complex I was in didn't allow short stays so some Airbnb owners would do this to get around the by-laws," explained one Reddit user.

Note taped to a gate with numerous key lock boxes attached
Property owners in South Brisbane are fed up with lock boxes being attached to their fence. Source: Reddit/FantasticChange7018

"I'd be willing to bet the owners probably don't have body corporate approval to host Airbnbs and are doing this to get away with it," responded someone else. "You don't chain a bunch of key safes to some random post on someone else's property unless you're pulling a dodgy."

Meanwhile other Brisbane Reddit users offered a range of creative but legally dubious solutions to the problem. "Just encase the lot in hard-set expanding foam," suggested one. "Glue the locks. No need to advertise the problem before it f***s up their day," another commented.

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