Southern Metropolitan Region
Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (12:23): (787) My constituency question is to the Minister for Consumer Affairs. An apartment resident in my electorate, Rocco, lives in a complex that has endured years of disruption from two apartments used full-time as short stays. As well as these dwellings not being available to provide much-needed homes, neighbours have suffered loud music, litter, vomiting and passing out in the common areas, verbal abuse and threats from visitors. Rocco says 2021 changes to the Owners Corporation Act 2006 have not improved the situation and VCAT is not able to deal with the issues in a cost-effective and timely manner. We need reform to rein in short stays’ impacts on housing supply, including an annual 90-day cap on listing a property as a short stay and a mandatory public register of short-stay properties. And, Minister, when will you amend the Owners Corporation Act to let apartment owners decide if they want short stays in their building – to decide if they live in a hotel or a community?