National developer Fortis has received development approval for Crest &amp; Walker, its Newstead apartment development on Kyabra Street.

Construction by Binah is expected to commence on the 20-storey, Bureau^Proberts-designed building soon. There will be 65 two- and three-bedroom apartments on offer, starting at $1.8 million.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/crest-walker-12-kyabra-street-newstead-qld-4006">Crest &amp; Walker</a> marks the fourth active development to be delivered by Fortis in Brisbane, following River House, now nearing completion, a residential project in New Farm, and a mixed-use development in Hamilton. Several additional projects remain in the pipeline as the development manager continues to grow its footprint across South-East Queensland.

&nbsp;

Dan Boman, General Manager – Development, Queensland, said the continued expansion in Brisbane projects managed by Fortis reflects the company’s commitment to design-led development and thoughtful placemaking.

“We’re proud to be strengthening our presence in Brisbane with Crest &amp; Walker, particularly in such lifestyle destination as Newstead," Bonman says.

"Every Fortis project is shaped by its context, and we approach each one with the respect and care it deserves."

Bonman believes Crest &amp; Walker will&nbsp;attract a discerning buyer who values design, thoughtful amenity and a lifestyle that captures the best of contemporary Brisbane.

"Our focus is always on creating places that feel connected to their neighbourhood and elevate the everyday experience for residents. Newstead continues to evolve as one of Brisbane’s most sought-after urban communities, and Crest &amp; Walker reflects our ambition to contribute meaningfully to that story."

&nbsp;

The building’s design features a contemporary brick podium softened by vertical greenery, creating a distinctive architectural expression within the Newstead streetscape. Positioned between Gasworks and James Street, the project sits within one of Brisbane’s most coveted lifestyle precincts, surrounded by dining, retail and cultural destinations.

A communal rooftop will feature a sun lounge and pool, BBQ facilities and a sauna, all set against panoramic views across Newstead and the Brisbane CBD.

Slaite Projects will handle the sales campaign, which will kick off in May.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145922]

Joel Robinson

Fortis to launch Crest & Walker, Newstead following development approval

Singaporean developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/centurion-global">Centurion</a> has unveiled plans for a major mixed-use redevelopment of the former John Martin &amp; Co warehouse building on Adelaide CBD's dress circle North Terrace.

The $300 million redevelopment will comprise three towers, rising behind and above the preserved 19th-century sandstone façade. The proposal would retain and integrate the heritage-listed structure while introducing a trio of contemporary towers that combine student accommodation, residential apartments, and commercial uses.

There will be apartments to purchase, as well as a 30-storey, purpose-built&nbsp;student accommodation tower, designed to respond to growing demand for dedicated student housing in Adelaide’s CBD.&nbsp;Ground and podium levels across the development are expected to host retail, food and beverage, and entertainment uses, helping to activate the street edge and create stronger pedestrian connections between North Terrace and the nearby Rundle Mall retail precinct.

A key element of the proposal is the preservation of the site’s historic sandstone building, constructed in 1867 and designed by prominent colonial architects Edmund Wright, Edward John Woods, and Edward Hamilton. The building originally operated as a warehouse for the well-known Adelaide department store John Martin &amp; Co before the retailer closed in 1998.

&nbsp;

The site sits opposite several of Adelaide’s most significant cultural institutions, including the Art Gallery of South Australia, the South Australian Museum, the State Library, and the university precinct. Its location places it within a corridor that connects the city’s cultural, education, and retail destinations.

It is the second redevelopment proposal on North Terrace in recent months, with Palumbo Group set to redevelop the heritage-listed former Royal Hotel which has laid vacant for over a decade.

They are planning 211 apartments across two towers, just over a kilometre from Centurion's project.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/sa/palumbo-group-to-redevelop-kent-town-pub-into-new-apartment-development">Palumbo Group to redevelop Kent Town pub into new apartment development</a>

Centurion plots $300m triple-tower redevelopment for heritage John Martin’s warehouse on Adelaide’s North Terrace

After laying vacant for over a decade, construction is set to begin on a major residential and mixed-use development at the heritage-listed former Royal Hotel in Kent Town.

The Royal Apartments development by South Australian developer Palumbo Group will deliver 211 new dwellings across two residential towers while preserving and restoring the iconic State Heritage-listed building at 2-8 North Terrace.

<img alt="Royal Hotel" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d48b7805-a5b0-42b8-b6bd-64ed49dfb81d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-03-09%20at%209.15.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=vtrtYAaCec5nYrYiNaivmC9d9nyHAXeQ" />

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/royal-apartments-2-8-north-terrace-adelaide-sa-5000">Royal Apartments</a> will consist of a 15-level Hills Tower and a 16-level City Tower on the doorstep of the Adelaide Park Lands.

The heritage Royal Hotel building, added to the State Heritage Register in 1986, will be retained and adaptively reused as part of the development.

The development will also include ground-level retail, communal open space including a swimming pool, bicycle parking, and 235 on-site car parks.

<img alt="Royal" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c73b6752-a574-4e4a-927d-f36df076b61a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-03-09%20at%209.20.41%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=EcIGi.Z0ijVPTDkq8jSEFd2pzfw6ryRN" />

Providing housing for key workers is central to this development, with 20 percent of dwellings set aside for doctors, nurses, police officers and other essential workers at a 25 percent reduction of rental costs.

The project is being delivered by South Australian family-owned developer the Palumbo Group, who have over seen several high-quality residential and commercial developments across Adelaide.

Palumbo Group to redevelop Kent Town pub into new apartment development

Southwark Grounds will transform into a fully serviced inner-city neighbourhood, with South Australian developer&nbsp;Commercial &amp; General&nbsp;selected as the master developer to transform two-thirds of the former West End Brewery site.

The State Government will partner with South Australian developer Commercial &amp; General to deliver more than 1,000 homes alongside a supermarket, a childcare centre, an aged care facility and a vibrant hospitality and retail precinct at Adelaide’s newest suburb.

Commercial &amp; General will work with Renewal SA on adaptive reuse of the historic Walkerville Brew Tower, which will anchor the precinct’s public space with hospitality and retail uses.

The newly announced homes, services and amenities form part of the broader 1,300‑home Southwark Grounds development, expanding on five apartment and townhouse projects on the western side of the site announced last year, which will deliver approximately 300 new homes close to services and public transport.

Local development group Commercial &amp; General are known for landmark projects across Adelaide including Eighty‑Eight O’Connell in North Adelaide and WEST at West Lakes.

<img alt="Full vision for Southwark’s transformation revealed" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="94a4827e-3a6d-4228-85d4-1f209ffd0a00" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Southwark-Grounds-View-2-Artist-Impression.jpg?VersionId=UGDDpeG8RqUm46gmL9p2S3EhO9qUnlwO" />

Commercial &amp; General is now finalising partnerships with a selection of architects and consultants to progress detailed plans and product designs for the precinct. Built form will be delivered by Commercial &amp; General’s integrated building division, Tandem Building, with work expected to begin in 2027.&nbsp;It should take about a decade to deliver the precinct.

Early stages are anticipated to include significant apartment complexes, public parking and the redevelopment of the Walkerville Brew Tower.

Other key elements planned for delivery within the next five years include a vertical residential aged care facility and a purpose-built childcare centre, with a supermarket and supporting retail to follow soon after.

This large section of the precinct will deliver more than 1,000 homes across approximately a dozen apartment buildings, with opportunities for increased yield to be explored through increased height allowances enabled by the recently launched Southwark Grounds Code Amendment.

Commercial &amp; General will also deliver a dedicated 80-space short stay public car park to support anticipated visitor demand, in addition to parking provided within individual apartment developments.

More than 20 per cent of homes within the development area will be allocated to affordable sale or rental, meeting Renewal SA’s increased commitment to affordable housing across the precinct.

Apartment buildings will be framed by activated public thoroughfares and a series of new reserves to be delivered by Renewal SA across 2026 and 2027.

The public realm, which will comprise a minimum of 15 per cent of the overall precinct, will be anchored by a major civic space known as ‘Brewery Green’, connecting the Walkerville Brew Tower to the river.

A detailed masterplan of the precinct alongside product typologies are set to be released later this year.

The State Government has embarked on several strategic infill developments to deliver critical housing supply to South Australia at pace. The Government purchased the Port Road site from Lion Beer Wine &amp; Spirits Pty Ltd in 2023 after the closure of the brewery two years earlier and has since fast tracked the construction of the first homes, set for occupation by the end of this year.

Full vision for Southwark’s transformation revealed

Apartment developer FYVE is continuing to pad out its apartment pipeline.

Having filed an application for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/rose-bay-apartment-market-fires-up-with-200m-in-new-developments-filed">19 apartments on Dover Lane</a>, its first development in the eastern suburbs, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/fyve">FYVE</a> is taking on another new market, this time in Northbridge, where it is planning 31 apartments on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-5-baringa-road-northbridge-nsw-2063">Baringa Road</a>.

<img alt="First Look: FYVE lodges plans for boutique 31-apartment project in Sydney’s Northbridge" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a971e259-ed8e-4d08-9d3b-feacf3139684" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/1772685299976_11zon.jpg?VersionId=l1vSn6Hq1zRTHNONhD3l5rOIhlpN2G9L" />

The development, designed by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/wmk-architecture">WMK Architecture</a>&nbsp;and located&nbsp;close to Northbridge Plaza and the suburb’s village centre, will span six levels above basement parking. Large balconies and terraces form a key component of the design, extending the living areas outward while maintaining connections to the surrounding landscape.

The building’s scale and articulation aim to respond to the established residential character of Northbridge while introducing contemporary architectural elements, according to the documents supplied to Willoughby Council.

&nbsp;

<img alt="First Look: FYVE lodges plans for boutique 31-apartment project in Sydney’s Northbridge" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3502e584-a397-472f-81a2-298349b47a4b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/699c44c7039d7b9c10230b0b_Northbridge%20Option%201.png?VersionId=1U.uYIPBX7issSkMNgVen.MekKcFOLK0" />

FYVE Head of Strategy and Acquisition Aris Dimos said the Northbridge project reflects the company’s strategy of targeting tightly held locations suited to owner-occupiers.

“Following on from our recent Rose Bay acquisition, Northbridge represents a continuation of our strategy to secure well located opportunities in tightly held, established locations with strong owner-occupier appeal,” Dimos said.

“We look forward to bringing this project to life in one of the Lower North Shore’s most desirable addresses.”

&nbsp;

First Look: FYVE lodges plans for 31 apartments in Northbridge

Accommodation

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The NSW government will impose a 180-day cap on the number of days empty properties can be rented out by Airbnb in Sydney.
It will also give strata corporations the power to ban Airbnb in their buildings if 75 percent of owners seek the ban. 
Short-term holiday letting is currently unregulated in NSW. 
Sydney ranks as one of Airbnb’s top ten cities for most properties on the platform.
The new laws come with no caps across the rest of the state, but councils outside of greater Sydney will have the power to impose their own caps, though no lower than 180 days per year. Byron Bay could move first as its locals have been affected by increased rent as its short-term holiday rental market booms. It has been calculated that in Byron shire visitors outnumber locals by a ratio of 70 to one.
Better Regulation Minister Matt Kean was forced to go back and consult with the government's backbench after MPs revolted over the initial cabinet-approved policy, which proposed only the 180-day cap but gave no power to the individual strata committees.
Hosts or guests who commit two serious breaches of the code within two years could be by Airbnb from using Airbnb and other similar platforms for five years, and placed on an exclusion register.
Kean described the reforms as the "toughest laws in world to crack down on bad behaviour" in the short-term letting industry.
"We've got the balance right between protecting people's property rights, between recognising owner's corporations have a role to play in the governance of strata schemes, and ensuring people who want to use these platforms like Airbnb are able to do so," Mr Kean said.
Airbnb’s Global Head of Policy Chris Lehane championed the reforms as a potential "world model" for the industry, describing them as "fair and balanced". Lehane said Airbnb was comfortable with sharing its data with government agencies.
International cities like Berlin and Barcelona have found regulating these platforms is not always easy with enforcing restrictions against individual hosts cumbersomely costly.
<div>
The home sharing platform Airbnb came out in support of a limit on the number of days a investment property can be rented in NSW strata, as it sought to avoid a tougher regulatory crackdown by the NSW government.
In a submission to the NSW government, Airbnb said there were more than 45,000 Airbnb listings in the state with average host earning around $5,300 a year.
The NSW government's options paper, which was released last July, considered a range of options balancing protecting neighbours and allowing people to profit from providing short-term accommodation.
</div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquiry-submission-details.aspx?pk=%2053960" target="_blank">Airbnb's prior submission</a> has called for a statewide planning framework which clarifies how individuals are allowed to rent out the homes.
"Airbnb supports a clear, statewide approach that supports our host community sharing their own primary place of residence without the need for approvals, registrations, or caps, and for non-­primary places of residence, an approach that is streamlined with clear information about the safety and planning standards to adhere to," it said in the submission.
<div>
London introduced a 90-day limit a calendar year on Airbnb rentals. 
<div title="Page 13">
In June 2015, Philadelphia became the largest city in the U.S. to pass legislation specifically enabling people to share their homes for up to half a year.
<div title="Page 12">
The city of Hamburg acted to clarify that rules restricting tourist accommodation in residential areas do not apply to primary residences.
The Hamburg housing law gives residents the right to use all of their home to host guests for up to 50% of the year. Alternatively, they can use 50% of their home to host guests all year round. 
</div>
A recent City of Sydney Council survey of 1000 residents showed more than 40 per cent of Sydney inner-city residents oppose short term rentals on Airbnb or Stayz as a full-time investment and believe strata bodies should be able to ban short-term rentals.
</div>
</div>
<div>
Airbnb also recommends the NSW government set up a "three-strikes-and-you're-out" framework to manage complaints.
Airbnb opposed giving strata bodies the power to prohibit short-term renting. 
<div title="Page 3">
New South Wales’ host community has welcomed nearly 420,000 Airbnb guests during a recent twelve months which represented a year-over-year growth rate of 167 percent.
In an Economic Impact Study that Airbnb conducted in Sydney, Airbnbn found that the majority of hosts (85 percent) rent their primary residences occasionally and earn a modest but significant amount of extra income that they use to help make ends meet.
In Australia, the average host earns $7,100 per year and hosts approximately 51 nights per year.
Martin North at Digital Finance Analytics suggests a significant share of Airbnb Sydney hosts are using the platform to engage in economic activity that existed long before Airbnb did – that is, dwellings are used as serviced apartments, B&amp;Bs or holiday rentals.
"This is commercial activity, not sharing.
"These properties aren’t just “excess” unused housing space and there’s no “sharing attitude” involved," he blogged today.
Mapping the Sydney listings shows these traditional short-term lets were only about a quarter of listings, but they were overwhelmingly concentrated in suburbs with very tight rental markets.
LOCATION OF TRADITIONAL SHORT-TERM LETTING
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221663/original/file-20180605-175451-1eumaun.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
LOCATION OF HOUSE SHARING
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221664/original/file-20180605-175438-10z7exq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
"That’s a lot of properties in popular neighbourhoods that might otherwise be long-term rentals," North suggested.
 
</div>
</div>
</div>
 
 
 
 
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

NSW Government puts cap on Sydney Airbnb rentals, with regional councils able to follow 

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AccorHotels today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Mantra Group for $1.2 billion.
The deal includes the Mantra, Peppers, BreakFree and Art Series brands, representing 138 hotels in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and Bali.
Michael Issenberg, chairman and CEO of AccorHotels Asia Pacific described the Mantra Group as the "latest chapter" in the strong growth story of AccorHotels in the region. 
"Since our launch with the Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour in 1991, AccorHotels has become the largest hotel group in the Pacific, and Australia has always played a key role in that story.
 AccorHotels will now operate over 330 hotels and resorts across Australia and over 900 throughout Asia Pacific.
AccorHotels will also be the largest employer on the Gold Coast, outside of government.
Simon McGrath, COO of AccorHotels Pacific noted the Mantra Group had built an innovative business "focused on the best partnership experience for its 10,000 strata title owners."
Bob East, CEO of Mantra Group said it had been "an enjoyable journey for me leading the team since 2007 through to our float on the ASX in 2014 and now closing this deal with AccorHotels..” 
The Mantra Group leadership team will continue to be based in the Gold Coast office, reporting to Mr McGrath, in line with all other AccorHotels Pacific business units. 
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AccorHotels completes $1.2 billion Mantra acquisition

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GUEST OBSERVER
<a href="https://theconversation.com/housing-still-out-of-reach-for-many-even-as-rents-fall-in-post-boom-western-australia-76461" target="_blank">High rents</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-insecurity-of-private-renters-how-do-they-manage-it-77324" target="_blank">short-term rentals</a> are driving people to organise themselves to share rooms with strangers in order to live in the city. Room sharing outside a family environment is also occurring in some professions. This includes airline stewards and submariners, nurses on shifts, or hospitality workers in remote or seasonal locations, to name a few.
There are precedents where this arrangement is not unusual. Youth and backpacker hostels offer room sharing as a budget option.
In the cases of the workers above, however, the roomies are part of an organisation and are colleagues. This ensures some vetting has taken place and that their conduct is expected to be in keeping with their paid position and contract.
Youth hostels have management to handle complaints and to keep an eye on things. But what about when you are sharing a room and found your roomie through a website? Who is in charge? And how do you really know with whom you are sharing?
City living costs are driving people to organise themselves to share a room with strangers so they can live in their required location. It’s harder than ever to afford your own bedroom to sleep in.
Various websites list hundreds of offers to share rooms in central Sydney. Beds are available from about $150 to over $230 a week. Room sharing also happens in suburbs like Double Bay, Mossman or Marrickville.
(Picture above) “Looking for one girl to share a master room with another 3 girls.” Screenshot from Gumtree ad, August 19 2017, 11:58 , Author provided Christian Tietz, UNSW
A recent article, “How short-term rentals are making Sydney’s housing crisis worse”, calculates that about 6,000 properties are removed from the rental market and offered to higher-paying tourists through “sharing economy” sites like Airbnb. We have an indication what the potential tenants who can’t afford to rent a flat anymore are doing – they are room sharing. I estimate thousands of people are room sharing right now in the inner city.
Exceeding capacity causes many problems
Overcrowded apartments, beyond interfering with the amenity of strata owners, have a number of other implications. One is that these packed living arrangements raise basic health concerns. Historically, <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/tenements">19th-century New York tenements</a> come to mind. How are facilities like bathrooms and toilets – the <a href="https://researchdirect.uws.edu.au/islandora/object/uws:20120">health hardware</a> – going to hold up when used by multiples of the occupants they were originally designed for?
In Australia today, we know relatively little about the extent of chronically overcrowded housing. But research has looked at its impact on those Indigenous householders for whom it’s a fact of daily life. In some cases, up to five people share one bedroom and up to 30 people use the services of one house.
It’s not because they like it, but because there are not enough houses that <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249879335_This_Is_Not_a_Pipe_The_Treacheries_of_Indigenous_Housing">perform well</a>. Product selection is not fit for purpose and goes hand in hand with a lack of maintenance. <a href="https://www.bshf.org/world-habitat-awards/winners-and-finalists/housing-for-health-programme/">Award-winning research</a> shows this makes it virtually impossible for these householders to carry out basic <a href="https://www.healthabitat.com/the-healthy-living-practices">healthy living practices</a>.
Appliances, fittings and fixtures are engineered to cater to household, commercial, industrial or military performance demands. Fit-out quality selection has direct implications on product life and therefore performance. If these products fail because they are not suitable, this has impacts on <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/Publications/housing-health.pdf" style="font-size: 12.16px;">health and wellbeing</a>.
The research shows that this is not the fault of the residents, Indigenous or otherwise. Now these <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/healthabitat.com/what-we-do/what-the-housing-data-reveals/why-the-houses-need-fixing">well-documented</a> issues are being reproduced in dense urban settings.
Who is going to repair the cheap and non-compliant fixtures when they fail? The poor occupants? What kind of replacements can be expected? High-quality commercial fittings to suit the 500% higher use, or cheap replacements that will predictably fail again in due time?
<h2>Can a shared room be home?</h2>
Lack of personal space and privacy are other problems. The images on the websites clearly demonstrate practical day-to-day concerns. Where do you store your things? There is no existing furniture product category that meets the requirements of sharing with strangers.
A seasonal worker in the Snowy Mountains told me the workers left damp clothing lying on the floor between their bunks. But even if you can hang your things up somewhere, how do you ensure they are still there when you come home? Internal doors generally don’t have key locks and nor do cupboards. Tenants can’t even hang a picture, so how can they secure their space?
Ikea offers furnishings for small flats and some of their products are thoughtfully designed to make small spaces more effective. But they don’t have products for these room-share settings. Renting means you are not allowed to drill holes to install shelves or even hooks.
It appears that the precarious life of the roomie, who lacks a sense of security, stability, privacy, safety and the ability to control their living space, meets the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/4922.0Main%20Features22012?opendocument&amp;tabn">definition of homelessness</a>. A bed alone does not make a home. <img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/files/188693/width754/file-20171003-31655-1gpt5yk.JPG" alt="">
Private life in public space? Image by C. Tietz, Author provided
<hr>
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christian-tietz-120703" style="font-size: 12.16px;">Christian Tietz</a>, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/room-sharing-is-the-new-flat-sharing-84359" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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pc-iUQkvULHPU

Room sharing is the new flat sharing

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A new partnership between one of the world’s largest accommodation providers Airbnb and Australia’s number one dedicated rental property website Rent.com.au, is encouraging renters to ‘try before they commit’ and test drive a new neighbourhood, before signing a rental lease.
Schools, cafes, shops, sporting facilities, public transport, entertainment and the arts, will all go under the microscope, as renters ‘check in’ to new suburbs in the search for their next home.
Under the agreement, renters can now book apartments, houses, private and shared rooms and unique accommodation options with a simple click-through from the Rent.com.au website.
“We love the idea of people ‘test driving’ their new community,” said Rent.com.au CEO, Greg Bader.
“We can all look at the photos and descriptions on our website and that gives us a good idea of the property we are moving into, but it doesn’t really paint the full picture of a new community.
Rent.com.au data shows that 50 percent of all renters look to spend around $300 per week on a rental (or a minimum of $15,000 per year).
With a one-night stay via Airbnb available from under $100 a night, renters now can make more informed decisions choosing their next rental home.
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Property 101: Try before you rent as Rent.com.au and Airbnb partner up

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The City of Sydney wants the law changed to allow short-term holiday services, such as Airbnb, so long as neighbouring properties and traditional visitor accommodation services are not adversely affected.
In its submission to the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the laws on short-term holiday letting, the City said the ‘sharing economy’ was rapidly expanding around the world and local legislation had not kept up.
“Tech companies are providing increasingly efficient means for offering homes and spare rooms for short-term holiday letting but our laws have not kept pace,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.
“With the right rules, short-term holiday letting can support local communities and economies, while protecting amenity and the residential character of our villages.”
Under current planning controls:
<ul>
<li>Tourist and visitor accommodation is not permitted in residential zones; and</li>
<li>Residential accommodation and tourist accommodation in the same building must be on separate floors and have separate lifts.</li>
</ul>
The City does not support changing this long-term policy, which is in place to protect neighbourhood amenity and visitor safety.
Airbnb listings in metropolitan Sydney have almost doubled in the past year: from 5,692 in September last year to 10,473 listed properties in October this year. In the City of Sydney government area, there are 2,993 properties listed.
The record shows that short-term holiday letting is booming around the world, providing income for owners and local businesses, and providing a variety of accommodation experiences.  
But the desire of property owners to offer short-term rentals, using online services such as Airbnb, needs to be balanced against the reasonable expectations of neighbourhood amenity and visitor safety.
The City is recommending a new definition for this style of accommodation and a consistent state-wide approach.
Quick statistics on the City of Sydney local government area:
Number of Airbnb listings: 2,993 (Source: insideairbnb.com/sydney/)
Number of hotel rooms: 20,000
Number of serviced apartment rooms: 4,700
Number of pub rooms: 968
Number of backpacker hostel beds: 6,200
Source: City of Sydney.
Under this proposal, premises could be classified as ‘exempt’ development where they meet certain requirements, such as limiting the number of days they can be let in a year and the number of people staying. If short term letting does not meet the requirements it would not be permitted.
“The City also wants to ensure there is continued investment in traditional visitor accommodation, which makes an important contribution to Sydney’s economy, with approximately 31,868 rooms or beds currently available, and another 4,259 hotel keys and 197 serviced apartments in the pipeline,” the Lord Mayor said. 
“More than 10.5 million visitors came to Sydney in 2012, contributing over $5 billion to the city’s economy.  This supported over 10,000 businesses in the transport, accommodation, education, retail, cultural and recreation sectors. This equates to almost 27,000 jobs or seven per cent of the city’s workforce.”
The City’s Visitor Accommodation Action Plan, adopted this year, supports investment in new and existing visitor accommodation to meet the demand forecast by the national tourism strategy, Tourism 2020.
To encourage investment and increase the number of beds or rooms in the traditional accommodation sector, the plan is to implement regulatory reform, such as reducing compliance costs and removing barriers, as well as facilitating new tourism infrastructure projects.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Airbnb needs the right rules Sydney Council tells NSW Parliament

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Angus Raine, the chairman at Raine &amp; Horne says it’s important to establish the rules of engagement from the beginning when it comes to a family-owned holiday home.
He says family members would do well to agree to an accommodation schedule for the holiday home from the outset, which diarises when the property is occupied and by whom.
"Some weeks are more valuable than others, such as Christmas and Easter, but by taking a common sense approach, it’s feasible to develop an accommodation schedule which is suitable to all parties."
He says cleaning is another issue that can cause disputes in a shared holiday home.
"From the outset, all parties should agree about how the property should be left after a vacation stint.
"Typically, to circumvent any concerns, all parties could agree to pay for a professional cleaner every time they exit the property.
"Dirty linen is a common bugbear of shared accommodation.
"I advise that occupants could take their own linen to the holiday home and remove it with them when they leave." 
He recommends a pact about how repairs and maintenance with one method is contributing to a sinking fund not unlike those used in strata arrangements.
"Breakages have the potential to cause familial schisms," he warns.
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Property 101: Shared holiday homes and family harmony 

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The online holiday home rental site Stayz has switched to a commission-based model with upset owners considering a switch to rival Airbnb.
Stayz is only offering listing renewal contracts with holiday home owners paying a 10 percent commission, rather than $15.90 a night and an annual fee of $164.
The Australian Financial Review notes Airbnb charges the property owner a three per cent commission and also changes the guest an additional six to 12 per cent on making a booking.
The Australian reports Stayz has around 42,000 registered properties.
The business was sold three years ago by Fairfax Media for $220 million. 
Stayz is ultimately owned by US-based online travel Expedia, which bought its parent company HomeAway for $US3.9 billion last year. 
Stayz boss Anton Stanish told the paper the company was now reviewing after feedback from some owners.
But noting some owners will pay more as "they were getting a steal before," he said.
One holiday home owner said her fees had gone up by 600 percent as a result of the changes to the commission structure for her luxury properties. 
Another noted in the peak Christmas period, the commission paid to Stayz on a $5000 booking for a week-long stay at her property would rise to $500 from $125.30 under the old system.
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"No more steals" for landlords as Stayz raises holiday home rental commission to 10 percent

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The advance of Airbnb vacation accomodation across inner Sydney has been one of 2015's defining property trends. For Del Rio, the divine Elizabeth Bay residential building, the onset has been via the Terry Kaljo classy online tourism booking outfit, Contemporary Hotels.
The garden apartment of Melanie Greensmith who runs the clothing label, Wheels and Dollbaby, with her partner Mark McEntee, former guitarist in the Divinyls, has turned up as <a href="https://contemporaryhotels.com.au/accommodation/sydney/the-del-rio" target="_blank">a $1,200 a night accommodation offering.</a> More than double that price over the Christmas period for the garden apartment in the landmark Spanish Mission block of five.
Seems like even the grandest of company title apartment blocks can't withstand the disruptive onslaught of short term Rimowa luggage laden, internet arrivisites. I recall the days when it was nigh impossible to come or go from Del Rio without tripping over the walking stick of Lady (Eileen) Noad, who'd watched all from the street-level foyer, with a conversation thrown in too. 
Located on the Billyard Avenue dress circle harbourfront with Moorish mosaic-tiled pool, Del Rio dates back to its 1928 design by John Spencer-Stransfield, who is more famously known for designing Sydney's finest Federation suburb Haberfield.
Attracted by the Chateau Marmont style arches, Greensmith, the Perth based fashion entrepreneur, bought it in 2013 about $4.25 million from Charles Wilkins, a leading Sydney caterer. He'd had the late designer Garth Barnett undertake the renovation from its original layout - with the third bedroom maid’s quarter - into two large comfortable bedrooms with two marble-finished bathrooms.
"Mixing old Hollywood glamour with contemporary features and facilities, The Del Rio celebrates the best of Sydney’s lifestyle and culture," says the booking website. Contemporary Hotels was established by former model turned hospitality pioneer Terry Kaljo whose son, Matthew Fleming now handpicks the website's short term rental selections.
It's the Billyard Avenue block briefly on the radar of Hollywood's then first couple Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman who inspected when one of the tightly held apartments came up for sale back in the mid-1990s. The block's top floor is home to executive deputy chairman of Crown John Alexander and his photographer wife, Alice.
There's neighbourhood whispers that former Fairfax board member and former chief executive of Louis Vuitton, Julia King, and her husband, Peter have recently sold their apartment for around $6.5 million.
This article was first published in the Saturday Daily Telegraph.
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