Queenstown Lakes District Councillors voted to approve changes to short-term visitor accommodation rules yesterday aimed at curbing absentee home owners making money at the expense of commercial operators, and potentially freeing up more houses for renting.
The new visitor accommodation rules were part of the council's district plan review and the result of a year-long investigation into peer-to-peer and short-term accommodation websites in the district.
QLDC property manager Ian Bayliss, who prepared the report for the council, said the research documented the growth of peer-to-peer accommodation in the district's residential zones and it showed ''it really does have some impacts on the housing market''.
''It's not so much the character residential areas - although that is an issue for some - it is the availability of rental accommodation when there is such a prolific alternative (for short-term accommodation).
''The current district plan is essentially allowing people to operate similar to a commercial hotel in a residential area,'' he said.
The proposed changes approved by councillors at the special meeting yesterday would not affect property owners who personally host up to five visitors in their homes.
But absentee owners or those renting their homes while on holiday would be restricted to a maximum of 28 days a year, with no more than three separate lets - a big reduction on the 90 days allowed at present without a resource consent.
Airbnb head of public policy for Australia and New Zealand Brent Thomas has strongly criticised the changes.
He said greater restrictions on home sharing would exacerbate the district's accommodation shortage and cut an ''economic lifeline'' for residential property owners.
The proposed rules approved by councillors at yesterday's special meeting will be notified for public consultation on November 23.
In the meantime, property owners can continue to operate and receive consents under the existing rules; any new rules will not come into effect until the council makes final decisions after hearing public submissions.
