Queenstown's council is re-thinking its visitor accommodation policy.
As reported by the Otago Daily Times earlier this month, the Queenstown Lakes District Council proposed watering down its rules on short-stay rentals in a bid to encourage more people to register.
But at a full meeting yesterday, councillors voted to withdraw that section of the proposed district plan to allow more research to be done and the public to be consulted.
Cr Cath Gilmour said it was important to protect long-term tenancies and seasonal tenancies, which in some cities are being lost to the likes of accommodation website Airbnb.
''We don't want that to become a problem here.''
More research was needed to ensure the council was making the right decision, she said.
At last count, 741 properties in Queenstown and Wanaka were registered as short-term visitor accommodation providers.
But the council is aware of another 1000 unregistered properties.
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden said visitor accommodation would now be dealt with in stage two of the district plan review, probably at the end of next year.
District plan manager Matthew Paetz said submissions made on visitor accommodation were now redundant but the council would get legal advice about what to do with them.
It was suggested the council send a letter to submission writers, out of courtesy.
Queenstown Lakes district property owners must register with the council if they want to take paying guests for up to 90 nights a year. If they exceed that number they must get a resource consent.
But most do not register, either out of ignorance or flouting the rules - to avoid paying higher rates, as their property's status changes from residential to mixed use.
