A group of incumbent Greens councillors and candidates have celebrated the new Airbnb reforms that will now empower local governments to regulate and ban Airbnbs in their areas.
As part of negotiations with the Victorian Labor government on the Short Stay Levy Bill 2024, which was introduced to Parliament yesterday, the Greens secured reforms that will allow local governments to regulate and ban short stay accommodation in their areas.
A range of councillors and candidates for Merri-Bek, Yarra City, City of Melbourne, Surf Coast, Mount Alexander Shire, Bass Coast Shire and Manningham City Council have all thrown their support behind the new short stay reforms as areas that are deeply impacted by the housing crisis.
Each of the councillors and candidates are from areas that are facing a massive shortfall in rental and housing availability and they say that these reforms will be instrumental in freeing up homes for renters and first home buyers in local communities, attracting essential workers and supporting the local economies.
Under the new reforms, from early 2025 councils will be able to restrict the number of nights a property can be used as a short stay, impose registration fees, and make all short stay properties require a permit which enables them to be banned in certain areas or altogether.
Local governments will have access to the short stay levy data collected by the State Revenue Office for their municipality to help enforce any regulations.
As stated by the Victorian Greens Renters’ Rights spokesperson, Gabrielle de Vietri:
“All across Victoria local communities are sick to death of property investors snapping up homes while locals can’t find anywhere to live.
“These councillors and candidates are from areas that have record low rental and housing availability, meanwhile they’re stacked with Airbnbs.
“Our councillors and candidates are deeply embedded in their communities, they can see that the housing crisis is breaking people in their community and that’s why they’re going to use these powers to free up homes for renters and first home buyers to actually live in.”
As stated by Merri-bek Greens Mayor Adam Pulford:
“In the face of the housing crisis, all levels of government should be taking action within their power to make sure people have a home.
“Last September, Merri-bek gave in-principle support for applying a cap on the number of days a year a property can be used for short-stay accommodation in our city. We now have certainty that we have the power to do this, and I will move for Merri-bek to put in place a cap to help make more properties homes.”
As stated by Yarra City Greens Councillor, Sophie Wade:
“We’ve been trying for well over a year to restrict Airbnbs in Yarra, facing unclear law and policy at every turn. Now we can take decisive action, and turn these hotels back into
homes.”
As stated by Surf Coast Council Greens Councillor, Kate Gazzard:
“It saddens me that young families, professionals and key workers are being priced out of the area they grew up in, they work in, or want to live in.
On the Surf Coast businesses are having to close or reduce their opening hours due to key worker shortages, families are being forced to move out of the area due to the lack of long-term rental options, and many young people cannot afford to live here.
For councils to have stronger powers to regulate short stay accommodation will help improve affordable housing options in the region”
As stated by the Greens candidate for City of Melbourne Lord Mayor, Roxane Ingleton:
“As a renter, I’m thrilled that councils will now have the power to regulate short stay accommodation, meaning more homes will become available for long-term renters and first home buyers.
“As the Greens Lord Mayor candidate I’ll be pushing for these reforms that will not only improve the housing supply but also the quality of life for many residents in Docklands, Southbank and the CBD who have put up with the antisocial problems associated with Airbnbs for too long.”
As stated by Greens candidate for Mount Alexander Shire Council, Lucas Maddock:
“The housing crisis is devastating our rural community, it’s tearing families apart and impacting our vital services. Unlike in metropolitan areas, when our essential workers are displaced, we can’t just bring them in from another area – we lose our vital services like aged-care, child care and early childhood education
“These new powers will allow us to tailor the regulation for our community and bring more homes back onto the long-term market for renters and first home buyers, which we desperately need to address the housing affordability crisis in Mount Alexander.”
As stated by Greens candidate for Bass Coast Shire Council, Mat Morgan:
“In Bass Coast, we have people sleeping in tents while hundreds of homes are being snapped up by investors to list as short-stay accommodation. We desperately need regulation in Bass Coast, and I’m ready to fight for it.”
As stated by Deepak Joshi, Greens candidate for Manningham City Council:
“Empowering local councils to make changes that will open more homes for renters is the right thing to do. More Greens on council mean that the housing crisis is taken seriously at the local level, with this groundbreaking work by our colleagues in the Victorian Parliament opening up the possibilities for local-led solutions to the housing crisis.”
As stated by Lucy Nguyen, Greens candidate for Brimbank City Council:
“The housing crisis we’re in is disproportionately affecting young people like myself, families and people locked out of the housing market. The west is not immune from the renting crisis and I am excited to advocate for more sustainable solutions to the housing crisis along with my colleagues across the state.”
