Unholy row as church raises concerns over rental plan

Perth Now

3 days ago

City of Vincent residents and a church have raised concerns about a proposed policy for unhosted short-term accommodation.
Under the draft policy, unhosted accommodations, such as an Airbnb, will be able to be used for only 90 days over a 12-month period.
Anyone who wants to operate for more than 90 days will need to seek development approval from the council.
A public consultation period for the policy closed on June 23.
Multiple residents and a church leader raised their concerns with it at the city's June 17 council meeting.
Greek Orthodox Church of WA president Gabriel Kafetzis said the policy would have devasting effects on the church.
Representing a long-standing not-for-profit institution located in West Perth, he argued the proposed restrictions would hinder the church's ability to achieve financial stability. Short-term rental policy changes have sparked concerns from residents and a church. Credit: church / Greek Orthodox Church
With declining donations and volunteerism, the church wanted to convert six unit dwellings into short-term rentals to generate income for maintenance and community services.
Mr Kafetzis said the church was independent from government or religious funding and was committed to supporting local heritage and the broader community.
'We are not funded by the Patriarch, we are not funded by any government bodies — we've been self-funded this whole time,' he said.
'We can no longer rely on traditional fundraising methods such as donations and sausage sizzles — the cost is simply too high.
'We feel that (our units) would be ideal to convert into short-term accommodation. It would move us into a more sustainable model for the long term.'
Vera Saragih, of North Perth, said the proposed policy would restrict property owners and negatively impact the local economy.
Ms Saragih said the policy's 90-day cap on short-term rentals was unworkable and would significantly limit the flexibility homeowners currently have.
Taking away the right for me to have short-term accommodation would be devastating to me personally.
'Nobody wants to come to an unhosted short-term accommodation place where the owner's clothes are still in the cupboards and wilted lettuce in the fridge,' she said.
She said the policy could exclude economically vulnerable workers who relied on short-term rental support roles, such as cleaners and delivery drivers.
'These groups are highly represented in the short-term accommodation industry – property cleaners, linen providers, delivery drivers and other trades.' she said.
Ms Saragih also asked if the draft policy aligned with the city's Access and Inclusion Plan 2022-2027.
She said having the option to use her property as a short-term unhosted enabled her to not be 'bound by the ever-restrictive requirements of the Residential Tenancy Act'.
Delma Davies told the council its proposed policy would severely impact her financial stability.
Ms Davies said she rented out a second property above her own home to help pay her mortgages and relied on this income as she did not have superannuation.
'Taking away the right for me to have short-term accommodation would be devastating to me personally,' she said.
She questioned the lack of accessible data on both the number of short-term rentals in the area and complaints.
'We've had responses from councillors that there are apparently hundreds of complaints … I'd like to have access to those,' she said.
Ms Davies expressed frustration over the inability to secure a consultation with mayor Alison Xamon and urged the council to hold a roundtable discussion.
Ms Xamon said the proposed 90-night limit for unhosted short-term rental accommodation aligned with State Government planning reforms.
'Which allows unhosted short-term accommodation to operate without development approval for up to 90 nights in a 12-month period,' she said.
Ms Xamon said the city also understood and acknowledged concerns raised by residents about a potential increase of unhosted short-term accommodation.
'The aim of the policy is to achieve a balance between encouraging visitors and tourists to stay around our vibrant town centres and ensure that people living in quiet residential neighbourhoods do not experience increased noise and other disruptions,' she said.
Ms Xamon said it did not aim to reduce employment opportunities for people with a disability and the outcomes of the Access and Inclusion Plan were considered. Financial gain was also not a relevant planning considerations for the draft policy.