Many years ago - in a kinder and gentler age - a holiday home near the beach was a reality for many families. These ranged from affluent homes - built with retirement living in mind - to rough shacks built by battlers with a scarcity of both skill and money.
Land was cheap in those days and council rates in most areas a mere pittance. Change overtook this idyllic scene with land prices reaching and in some cases surpassing city levels - and council rates pushing the holiday home from dream to nightmare !
Many owners saw deliverance by way of offering the holiday home as a rental property when not in use by the family. The rental income covered out-goings - and so the status quo was maintained.
In recent times rents for these properties have reached ridiculous levels. In peak season rents in excess of two thousand dollars a week are common - and as a result the complexity of those renting has changed.
Now it is common for a mixture of families in excess of twenty people to share a beach house. This large group descends on the beach house with additional sleeping accommodation - including tents and caravans - and as a result there is often a noise problem for neighbours - and the lease ends with a large amount of rubbish left behind.
There is now pressure to ban short term tenancy in beach front areas. Councils are exploring options open to them under existing legislation - but they are also salivating at the prospect of slapping " Section 94 Contribution Fees " on beach properties offered for rental.
This impost was originally designed to apply to new hotels, motels and boarding houses as a means of developers contributing to the tourist facilities that would be needed. The impost was a whopping $ 7,500 per bed !
It seems that the battle is about to be joined between neighbours - who want a little peace and quiet - holiday home owners - who want to offset the cost of maintaining their beach side asset - and councils - who simply see a new bag of money within grabbing range !
Whatever the outcome - a holiday by the sea can only cost a whole heap more !
No comments:
Post a Comment