We’re seeking feedback on potential changes to the Christchurch District Plan around managing home-share accommodation.
Project status: Closed for feedback
Open for feedback: 16 January 2020 to 2 March 2020
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November 2020 update
The further submissions period for Plan Change 4 to the Christchurch District Plan around managing short-term accommodation (including Airbnb; HomeAway/Bookabach) opened on Thursday 26 November.
The deadline for lodging further submissions on the Plan Change is 5pm on Thursday 10 December.
We want your views on options we’re exploring for managing home-share accommodation (e.g Airbnb, Bookabach etc) in residential and rural zones under the District Plan.
The options apply to listings of entire homes where the owner isn’t present. They don’t affect the current rules for individual rooms that are let within a property while the owner is there (i.e. bed and breakfasts). They also don’t affect listings of entire homes in commercial or mixed-use zones, where guest accommodation is permitted.
Proposed options
The options we’re considering are summarised below. The discussion document [PDF, 2.6 MB] includes more detail about each option and its variations.
Under the District Plan, home-share accommodation is permitted in commercial and mixed-use zones, the Guest Accommodation Zone and the Accommodation and Community Facilities Overlay.
In residential zones, an owner doesn’t need a resource consent for home-share accommodation if they live on-site and list a room/s for up to six guests. If the owner is not staying in the home, it is considered unhosted home-share accommodation and a resource consent is required.
An exception is the Residential Central City Zone, where small units can be listed as long as the activity does not employ anyone who lives off-site. This is subject to them complying with any other applicable standards in the District Plan e.g. parking requirements, noise limits.
In rural zones, farm stays and accommodation associated with rural tourism activities (e.g eco-tourism, wine tourism) are generally permitted. Unhosted listings that are not part of a farm stay or rural tourism activity require a resource consent.
Learn more about this option. [PDF, 2.6 MB]
Read more about the current District Plan rules.(external link)
You could list a whole home for up to a certain number of days per year (potentially 60, 90 or 120 days).
Whole-home listings would be restricted for more than that (although there could be exceptions). The options include:
2a: Enable whole homes to be listed up to a certain number of days per year as a permitted activity. A permitted activity in the District Plan is one where no resource consent is required as long as all of the relevant standards in the District Plan are met.
2b: Enable whole homes to be listed up to a certain number of days per year as a controlled activity. A controlled activity in the District Plan is one where a resource consent is required. The Council cannot decline the consent but can require conditions related to the matters on which it has reserved control in the plan.
Learn more about this option. [PDF, 2.6 MB]
Whole properties could be listed in particular areas, but not others, without resource consent. Some of these options could be: 
3a: Restrict home-share accommodation in high demand areas (such as the central city and some surrounding suburbs) and enable elsewhere.
3b: Enable home-share accommodation in high demand areas (such as the central city and surrounding suburbs) and restrict elsewhere.
3c: Enable home-share accommodation in coastal suburbs, rural zones and residential zones on Banks Peninsula, and restrict elsewhere.
Learn more about this option. [PDF, 2.6 MB]
Home share accommodation would only be permitted in homes that meet specific criteria, to minimise impacts on neighbours.
Factors that could be considered include: whether it’s a multi-unit development or rear site, if there's adequate parking and manoeuvring room for large vehicles or how close outdoor entertainment areas are to neighbours.
Learn more about this option. [PDF, 2.6 MB]
Resource consent would not be required to rent out whole homes for home-share accommodation. It would be considered a form of residential activity.
Learn more about this option. [PDF, 2.6 MB]
Information sessions
You may like to attend a drop-in session. We will be able to discuss the various options and answer your questions.
Saturday 25 January 2020 11pm to 1pm
Akaroa - Gaiety Hall, 105 Rue Jolie
Wednesday 29 January 2020 5.30pm to 7pm
Central City - Te Hononga Civic Offices, 53 Hereford Street
Thursday 30 January 2020 5pm to 7pm
North New Brighton - Community Hall, 88 Marine Parade
Tuesday 4 February 2020 3pm to 6.30pm
Mount Pleasant - Yacht Club, 21 Main Road
Tuesday 11 February 2020 12pm to 2pm and 5pm to 7pm
Central City – Tūranga Library, 60 Cathedral Square, TSB room on level 1
Wednesday 12 February 2020 6pm to 8pm
Papanui – Library/Service Centre, 35 Langdons Road, Community Board Room
You’re also welcome to call us on (03) 941 8999 or 0800 800 169 (Banks Peninsula residents) or email planchange@ccc.govt.nz
Next steps and more information
Feedback closed on Monday 2 March. The feedback is now being considered as part of the process in selecting a preferred option, which may include a District Plan change for public notification.
Staff will report back to the Council on the outcomes of the engagement and include a recommendation for the preferred option. If the preferred option is a change to the District Plan, staff will also make a recommendation on the best process to use.
Notification
Any change to the District Plan requires public notification or limited notification.
Consultation
We will invite further feedback providing an additional opportunity for anyone to make a formal submission for or against the preferred option.
A District Plan(external link) sets out the council’s framework for managing land use, development and subdivision. It defines objectives, policies and rules to address resource management issues, particularly the effects of land use and subdivision, such as noise and traffic.
The District Plan zones different areas of the district to reflect the different types of land uses anticipated – such as residential, commercial, industrial and rural – and regulates the types of activities that are allowed to occur in each zone, and those that require resource consent.
Under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) all councils must have a District Plan.
The Council can make changes to its District Plan and this is one of a number of issues we are considering.
Other regulations also apply to home-share accommodation and manage different matters outside the scope of the District Plan – particularly in terms of health and safety. For example, the Building Act 2004(external link) and the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fire Safety, Evacuation Procedures, and Evacuation Schemes) Regulations 2018(external link) may include additional requirements if there is a change of use, depending on the type of accommodation offered and its scale.
Our consideration of how to fairly apply other regulatory methods for guest accommodation, to both formal and informal operators, would follow on from any changes to the District Plan and the ability to require registration.
The Council also plans to look at the most appropriate approach to rating properties used for home-share accommodation. Depending on the approach proposed, the Council is likely to undertake a separate consultation process before introducing any change.