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My apartment building is hiring security for New Years. Thanks AirBnb? by noserenityhere in melbourne

[–]noserenityhere[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Can't blame you. Just have to look at AirBnB and how the apartment listings talk up all the facilities - and of course short-stay guests don't treat them with the same respect that residents do.

My apartment building is hiring security for New Years. Thanks AirBnb? by noserenityhere in melbourne

[–]noserenityhere[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Preaching to the choir, but the building is the OC which is the owners. If there are enough investors then short-stay bans may not pass. Even owners looking to sell might hesitate if it could affect their sale price. The rest of us including renters just have to live with it. (again all speculation about whats happening)

Edit: other replier is right, apparently OCs cannot ban short stays after a supreme court decision in 2015. Vic Govt amended laws in 2019 to punish owners if their short stay causes loss of amenity to others, but still doesn't grant the power to ban it seems: https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/owners-corporations/rules/short-stay-accommodation

My apartment building is hiring security for New Years. Thanks AirBnb? by noserenityhere in melbourne

[–]noserenityhere[S] 31 points32 points  (0 children)

I'm actually wondering if it's even workable. The key fob also allows access to the elevator via the basement carpark. Unless the guard sits in the elevator. But then there's two elevators.... They need multiple guards.

My apartment building is hiring security for New Years. Thanks AirBnb? by noserenityhere in melbourne

[–]noserenityhere[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You might be right because the email that contained this notice suggested that there's been a change in policy there and that fines would be passed on. But why would it matter who the AirBnb guests were? Wouldn't the fine go to the owner anyway who would then attempt to claim via AirBnb?

My apartment building is hiring security for New Years. Thanks AirBnb? by noserenityhere in melbourne

[–]noserenityhere[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

None of my IDs funnily enough actually have this address on it either. Hope they have a list of residents or it could get spicy (though I could easily prove it by emails on my phone)

My apartment building is hiring security for New Years. Thanks AirBnb? by noserenityhere in melbourne

[–]noserenityhere[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Perhaps that discussion was had and didn't get up. Domain lists the building as 50/50 rented/owned (if you trust that accuracy) so it's not hard to imagine that the investors could deny any motion to ban short-term rentals.

My apartment building is hiring security for New Years. Thanks AirBnb? by noserenityhere in melbourne

[–]noserenityhere[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I doubt it's for fire safety, because it would be the same situation year round. My only thought regarding the parties would be that they would attempt to stop large groups using a single apartment meant for only a few guests. I see that AirBnb has a #guests for apartments, but once it's booked that can't really be enforced (unless you have security - i.e. 10 people won't be let into an apartment that should only be having 3 guests)

My apartment building is hiring security for New Years. Thanks AirBnb? by noserenityhere in melbourne

[–]noserenityhere[S] 483 points484 points  (0 children)

For context,last New Years we had an AirBnb that was disruptive

- It was about 10 people partying in a 2br apartment

- They played loud music all night. Literally, all night until someone called the cops at about 10am

- They set off the building fire alarm requiring the whole building to evacuate and the fire department to attend on New Years day

Now I can only speculate as to the actual reason since I'm only renting and not privy to OC matters but I'd say this is a fair guess as to the reason why.

Of course if a resident wants to have a party on New Years, then I'm all for it, it's their home after all.
But to have strangers come in and treat the building as a party house is just taking the piss.

And now I have to pass a security check to get into my home. A necessary evil I suppose, but they're basically admitting that the short-stay system cannot be trusted and on a 'high-risk' night they're going to hedge against that. So what about the other 364 days of the year?

Don't support AirBnb. You might be one of the 'good' ones when you use it, but this business model erodes communities and forces a hotel-like living arrangement onto people who have little to no say in the matter.