Jurien Airbnb bid lost after motorbikes and noise complaints

A local council has knocked back a Jurien Bay resident’s application to operate a commercial holiday home after receiving complaints from neighbours about loud and unruly Airbnb guests at his property hooning on motorbikes and partying late at night.

Complaints came to Dandaragan Shire Council after Jurien Bay man Shane King sought development approval for his big holiday home on Ocean View Parade.

Mr King said he had taken paying guests for more than two years when he found out he needed approval.

“It was a bit of bad timing,” he said.

“I went out that weekend with my girlfriend and they (Airbnb guests) were hooning up the driveway and I wasn’t here.

We changed our rules over a month ago, so any motorbikes and four-wheel-drives are not to be operated on the property.

The council voted to refuse Mr King permission to operate a commercial holiday home for up to 12 guests at any one time when it met last month.

When the Midwest Times contacted Mr King a week later, he said he still had bookings coming in and was unaware of the council decision.

He said he had operated the guest house for more than two years without incident, but started to get “undesirables” about six months ago, who booked using the Airbnb Instant Book function, which allows users to book immediately without needing to send a reservation request to a host for approval.

He believed the unruly guests had told friends about the property.

With Instant Book, you can’t see the reviews

Mr King said said he had stopped using that booking function and now read all customer reviews before accepting bookings.

He said he also enforced a “no music after 10pm” rule.

Shire minutes state surrounding landowners consulted for their comment on the application raised concerns about noise and unruly guest behaviour.

Three complained, with one saying they could hear “everything” on a hot night and they would put their property on the market if the council approved the holiday home.

They said they should not have to tolerate noise, late-night partying and motorbike use.

Shire president Leslee Holmes said she could not comment as Mr King might appeal to the State Administrative Tribunal.