“I have a sectional title unit at the coast, which I only use a few times a year. I would like to rent out the unit for holiday accommodation, but am unsure whether I can just do this?”

Short term holiday letting has become quite fashionable, with increasing numbers of websites enabling an owner to easily rent out his property for holiday accommodation. 

Where the property to be rented falls within a sectional title scheme, the unit is subject to the scheme rules. This means that before you rent out your sectional title unit as holiday accommodation, it would be prudent to review the scheme’s management and conduct rules to make sure there are no prohibitions to such letting. The Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act also requires that an owner must inform the body corporate of any change in ownership or occupancy of the unit.

In addition, unit owners must ensure that their holiday tenants do not cause a nuisance to other permanent residents or occupants. You should give your tenants a copy of the schemes rules and ensure they sign to adhere to such scheme rules. One can easily imagine other unit owners becoming perturbed if rules regarding security, parking, noise, refuse removal, water use etc. are not met by holiday tenants.

You will also have to ensure that the zoning regulations allow such short-term letting. If there are zoning restrictions these may also limit your ability to rent out the unit or require the necessary permission to be obtained before you rent the property.

If you are unsure whether your unit can be rented out for holiday accommodation, it may be a good idea to talk to a property specialist to help you determine any restrictions or requirements to you doing so.