‘Three strikes’ policy to clamp down on rented party houses

Apartment owners who repeatedly let their properties for rowdy parties could be banned from the short-term rental market in Victoria.

The state’s government says an increase in complaints has led to a raft of changes including compensation for unhappy neighbours.

Ione McKenzie has been renting out the ‘The Stables’ at the back of her Richmond home for three years to people from country Victoria, people from outer suburbs who just want to have a night out ion the city, and people from all over the world.

Victorians are some of the biggest users in the world of short-stay websites but there has been an increasing number of complaints about guests behaving badly.

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The gripes range from guests running up and down the halls, damaging common property, party music all night, urinating in the stair wells to making residents’ lives hell.

Sam McDonough from short-stay site AirBnB said there was no place in their platform for such behaviour, with more than 20,000 hosts in Victoria now sharing their homes.

New laws will see apartment owners liable for the first time for their guests’ behaviour.

Consumer Affairs Minister Jane Garrett said the laws would make it easier for neighbours to put their feet down.

“To date it’s been hard to do that,” Ms Garrett said.

“The only penalties available for neighbours or owner corporations is to pursue guests who may well have long gone back overseas.”

Under the new laws neighbours could apply for compensation of us to $2000.

It is hoped this will encourage owners to properly screen potential guests.

“I would imagine they’d be taking a closer look at who’s renting their apartments and potentially calling in making sure everything’s ok and being more present to their properties,” Ms McKenzie said.