Calmer waters for Coromandel holiday rentals

After several years of heated consultation, the new Thames-Coromandel District Plan has been released.

Holiday home owners were particularly concerned about whether resource consent would be necessary for those who commercially hire out their properties, short-term, to more than six people.

While holiday home owners were not keen on this proposal, more formal accommodation providers, like motels and backpackers, were as they felt it would provide a level playing field.

However, the District Plan Hearings Panel has opted to go with the status quo.

There was no compelling evidence from either side to change this standard for visitor accommodation in the Plan, it said.

“So we’re sticking with what was in the previous District Plan, which allows for a maximum of six paying guests per property with parking and noise standards to be met."

Resource consents haven’t been the only worrying issue for holiday home owners, who provide their property for short term rental accommodation, in the area.

The Council’s controversial proposal of an annual “bach tax” for short-term rental providers, who advertised their property commercially, also hit the headlines last year.

The resulting backlash eventually prompted the Council to put the proposal on hold.

Now it seems that’s where the proposal is likely to stay for the foreseeable future.

Council spokesperson Laurna White said the “bach tax” was put on hold to give staff time to work with the accommodation industry to explore alternative solutions.

“A meeting was then held with several short-term holiday home accommodation providers (Bookabach, Bachcare and Trademe) in November 2015.

“The feedback was that due to all their different business models it would be too difficult to establish and administer a voluntary booking charge.

“The suggestion was this would also only work if it a national approach was adopted as it was too hard to manage region by region.”

As a result, further research will now be conducted, White said.

“This will be considered as part of a wider rating review to be undertaken in the lead-up to the 2018-28 Long Term Plan development.”