HELP! Apartment complex preventing stays - Melbourne

[Melissa742]

Hi I have been a host for a few years now and absolutely love all the wonderful people i've met. I've never had any issues with parties or complaints and overall have had such a positive experience. Recently the building manager and a few people on the body corporate have taken umbridge with people having short term stays and are constantly making rude comments to me and guests. it started with removing lockboxes outside the property and taking our keys so people couldnt get into the building and we would have to pay hundreds of $ for new security passes. Then i and others put lockboxes in our letterboxes and so they erected massive glass doors around the letterboxes citing "mail security" so there is no way for any guests or even services like cleaners to enter the building or get to the aprtment as they have locked the lifts and you cannot access any floors even if you can get inside the front door. This week they sent me a fine of $2000 saying that there had been an argument outside on the street that caused noise and they believed a person staying at my apartment was involved. No evidence, no police or report, nothing. The other day my cleaner parked in my car space to clean my apartment and they towed her car away. I have raised this bullying to the management company but they dont respond and i am really upset about it. I have never had any issues or complaints before to warrant this and it is not illegal to have short term stays in Victoria. I am a single mum and i'm justtrying to make my investment work for me, it's really upset me and stressing me out and so i thought i would see if anyone else has had anything like this happen and how you dealt with it? Appreciate all the advice you have! thanks Melissa

[Anonymous]

@Melissa742  . This article has some suggestions for that situation: https://reww.com/blog/airbnb-hoa/

Even though short-term rentals are legal in your area, the building management still has the right to prohibit them. But you have the right to know what terms are being upheld here. I'd be very surprised if the bylaws didn't include a policy on short term rentals, but if it's not in there you can demand some clarity. But it's really best to snooze the listing and accept no bookings until you have it in writing that STRs are explicitly allowed, and you have some assurance that the stay won't be sabotaged by the building manager.