June 2020 Newsletter; Are Airbnb hosts in breach of the Residential Tenancies Act?

Landlords could be using short term booking sites such as Airbnb in an attempt to contract out of the Residential Tenancies Act, however, by doing so they are exposing themselves to substantial risk and possible rent refunds. We became aware of the situation on a recent consultancy visit to Christchurch. A Business Development Manager highlighted that she noticed properties she had recently appraised for owners relisted on Airbnb.  Prior to the lockdown, these properties were used solely for short-term stays but instead of being used for one or two nights, they are being occupied for long term stays.