Official Information Request - 4 July 2019

Attachment:

Fixed Term Rates Project Analyst

Response:

Sent: Friday, 26 July 2019 12:01 p.m.

Subject: Official Information request - short term rentals

I refer to your online Official Information request of 4 July 2019 regarding short term rental accommodation, and provide the following response:

1. What method(s) does council use to ensure that Holiday Rentals are complying with the district plan rule of no more than 100 nights per year rented out?

The Revenue team (within Council's Finance & Business Performance division) has recently completed a project to identify properties who are not complying with the district plan rule, to rate these properties in accordance with our rating policy and establish on-going processes to assess this on an annual basis.

Scrapped internet data from holiday home websites was collected and analysed to identify properties. Scrapped internet data does not provide an address of the property.

The first step in this process is to identify the listing based on GIS map searches with the aim of linking the listing to a rating unit.

Then analysis was conducted on each holiday home listing to evaluate the description of the listing and listing type. This information determined the nature of the rentable use of the property, for example, a bed, a room, entire house, shared facilities or include private facilities; homestay, meals included, hosted or stay with strangers, sometimes a holiday home for the owners.

2. How many letters have been sent to home owners advising them that they will now need to pay business rates after going over the 100 night per year rule? Of these, how many did go on to pay business rates, or reverted their home back to standard long term rental?

The engagement with properties that have been identified as potentially being rented for greater than the threshold are the responsibility of the Revenue team to follow-up. The Short Term Accommodation project was completed in mid June 2019. The Revenue team are working through the list of properties identified.

3. Is there anyone employed at council with responsibilities of ensuring Holiday Rentals comply with the district plan? If so please supply job description, and if it is a full or part time position. If possible, what is the remuneration for this position

A Finance Project Analyst was employed on a 6 month fixed term contract to complete the Holiday Homes project work. The Finance Project Analyst was supported by a Senior Business Analysis from Council's Strategy team during this period. Please refer to attached job description.

The responsibility to investigate the properties identified has been incorporated into the normal business processes with the Revenue team.

4. How many Holiday Rentals are paying business rates vs how many are not?

Rating units in the Business category could include a wide range of applicable properties including those being used for holiday home rental or businesses like Dentists and Lawyers who use converted residential homes to conduct business from. We are unable to easily identify those that act as holiday home rentals only. This question is therefore declined under section 17(f) of the Act "that the information requested cannot be made available without substantial collation or research".

5. How much in business rates do council receive from properties identified as Holiday Rentals?

See No.4. This question is declined under section 17(f) of the Act "that the information requested cannot be made available without substantial collation or research".

6. Has council attempted to engage with airbnb/bookabach/any other platform requesting that they share stay data with council to ensure compliance with local rules? If so, please supply copies of correspondence.

Council has leveraged knowledge gained from Auckland Council and other councils who have projects in place to identity properties who are acting as short-term rental accommodation for more than 100 nights per annum.

Council has not engaged directly with Airbnb/bookabach. We have used tools which "scrap" potential rental information from known Holiday rental websites.

As per the Act, we are obliged to advise that you may contact the Ombudsman at the address below if you have any concerns with the response provided by Council, by writing to:

The Office of the Ombudsman

PO Box 10 152

WELLINGTON 6143

Alternatively, you may email info@ombudsman.parliament.nz or use the online complaints form available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/make-a-complaint.

Regards