By Peter Devlin For Daily Mail Australia Published: 22:21 EDT, 27 June 2017 | Updated: 22:30 EDT, 27 June 2017 Real estate agents across Australia have introduced an 'Airbnb clause' banning tenants from secretly subletting their rentals on the popular home-sharing site. The clause is a move to alleviate landlords' fears about security. Melbourne property manager Candice Deane said the clause she used in rental agreements stipulated tenants must not use Airbnb without the consent of the landlord. Real estate agents across Australia are updating their rental leases to include clauses banning tenants from subletting properties on Airbnb Ms Deane said the 'Airbnb clause' was standard at her agency and was enforced. 'We rented a property to a single lady recently and she had set it up as serviced apartment through Airbnb without the owner's consent,' she told Daily Mail Australia. After a simple search on Airbnb's website, the real estate agency found out and 'gave her notice to vacate'. 'It causes security issues, and more people means more wear and tear on the apartment,' Ms Deane said. Real estate agents are introducing 'Airbnb clauses' to ban tenants from secretly subletting their rentals on the popular house-sharing site (stock image) In another incident a tenant was leaving keys in a letterbox while on holidays, causing concern to other residents who saw different people coming and going from the property. 'That tenant was asked to leave,' Ms Deane said. Brent Thomas from Airbnb Australia told the ABC all people, including renters and owners, should have the right to share a home. 'Home sharing helps everyday Australians earn a little extra money to pay for their biggest expense- the cost of their housing,' he said. 'We ask all hosts to certify they have permission to list their space and remind them to check and follow local rules before they list and throughout the year'. Real estate agents across Australia have introduced an 'Airbnb clause' banning tenants from secretly subletting their rentals on the popular home-sharing site (stock image) Advertisement
Australian estate agents have started including an "Airbnb clause" in tenancy agreements to stop tenants from subletting their properties on the home-sharing site without informing agencies or landlords. The clause was introduced by property agent and Airbnb-user David Smith of Homebase Property Management after he noticed a growing number of people renting out rooms they had rented for months at short notice.