Shoalhaven City Councillors will discuss the possibility of implementing stricter regulations on short term holiday homes letters in the Shoalhaven tonight at the ordinary meeting.
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Noisy holiday-makers have drawn the ire of residents, who complained to councillor Bob Proudfoot.
Cr Proudfoot is proposing council registers all holiday homes in the area, and implements curfews on noise-related activities such as music and parties.
He would also like to see council set a limit on the number of occupants permitted to stay.
“I think we should develop a voluntary code that landlords sign up to,” Cr Proudfoot said.
“It’s not meant to be a major regulatory thing, in the spirit of cooperation this is something designed to bring industry into line.”
Cr Proudfoot said local motel owners had complained there was a double standard in the industry, and that stricter regulations apply to them.
He has suggested council rangers conduct “random checks“ on short term holiday homes to ensure policy is adhered to.
Short term letting hotspots, such as Jervis Bay, Ulladulla and Mollymook would undergo such checks.
In the agenda notes, council’s general manager Russ Pigg stated council’s position on the matter.
“Given the significance of short term holiday letting to tourism in Shoalhaven, council has had an ongoing and active involvement in this issue and still supports our current approach or one that is similar (essentially light-touch) where the vast majority do not need consent or approval, but problematic ones can be regulated,” Mr Pigg said.
“Over the past 12 months council staff have investigated about 30 complaints in regard to short term holiday letting, relating to amenity and environmental issues.
“In the main, these have been resolved via liaison with property owners.”