Home share accommodation focus of new report

Christchurch City Council staff are suggesting they work with Local Government New Zealand to look at possible national approaches to fairly and effectively regulating the home share accommodation sector.

In a report going to the Council’s Regulatory Performance Committee meeting next week, they say the home share accommodation sector has proven problematic for local governments around the world to regulate fairly and effectively.

The growth of digital accommodation platforms like Airbnb have transformed the accommodation sector.

They are recommending the Council advocate for a national review of possible legislative options to facilitate regulatory management of the home share accommodation sector.

To create an equitable, fairer situation for traditional accommodation suppliers to operate in, they are also recommending that a report is prepared on applying business rates to properties where whole units are used for short-term guest accommodation for four or more months a year.

Staff are also recommending that further research is done to better understand the costs and benefits of home share accommodation in Christchurch.

They also want to look at how changes to the District Plan might be used, in the future, to maximise the benefits of the home share accommodation sector while continuing to manage any potential negative effects on housing supply or affordability, commercial centres and residential amenity.

Read the report.

The advent of online accommodation booking platforms like Airbnb and Book-a-bach has seen the informal short-term accommodation sector in Christchurch grow significantly over the last two years.

Data on Airbnb in Christchurch shows total active listings grew from 283 in June 2016 to 3481 in August 2018. Over the same period Airbnb’s share of all guest nights in Christchurch grew from 0.7 per cent to 21.6 per cent.

The commercial accommodation sector have raised concerns with the Council about the disparity in the way the formal and informal guest accommodation sectors are treated. They believe the informal sector has a significant competitive advantage with respect to compliance costs and rules and want the playing field levelled.