Rise of Airbnb poses new test for councils

By Michael McGowan
Updated February 27 2016 - 2:09pm, first published 1:30pm
POPULAR: Port Stephens resident Michelle Carter has two apartments in the holiday town of Nelson Bay listed on Airbnb. Picture: Marina Neil
POPULAR: Port Stephens resident Michelle Carter has two apartments in the holiday town of Nelson Bay listed on Airbnb. Picture: Marina Neil

THE success of online accommodation sites like Airbnb has Hunter councils grappling with a smorgasbord of regulatory headaches, from legal issues, a potential loss of rate revenue, and the rise of so-called “party houses”.