The Mackenzie District Council was not trying to increase the overall rates take but was following the lead of the Queenstown Lakes District Council in "trying to capture the AirBnB operators" in the district, Mackenzie Mayor Graham Smith said.
In January, the QLDC sent letters to nearly 800 unregistered properties it had identified as being used for short-term and holiday rentals.
"A lot of people now — and they don’t even live in our towns — they’ve built houses here and ... it’s a business. They need to support the tourism cost to our district," Mr Smith said.
"If all ratepayers that are doing these B&Bs pay, everyone is going to pay a wee bit less. It’s unfair for those that have owned up and are being honest about it to be subsidising those that are paying the rates."
The letter was sent to owners of properties with more than one dwelling, non-residential ratepayers and those advertising short-term accommodation, council chief financial officer Paul Morris said in a statement.
Council revenue officer Pauline Jackson said 1600 letters had been sent out on May 16, but as the deadline for responses was not until June 30, she could not say how many had been returned.
