Hua Hin: District chief looking into Pool Villas advertising as "Homestay"

[webfact]

Hua Hin: District chief looking into Pool Villas advertising as "Homestay"

 

Picture:

 

Talk News Online reported that the district chief of Hua Hin is looking into the concept of dozens of pool villas in the seaside town offering daily rents as "homestay". 

 

Some people will see this as an effort to rein in "party houses".

 

TNO reported that 20,000 properties nationwide are being looked into under Article 44. These relate to use of properties as hotels with daily rentals. Many are acting illegally throughout Thailand. 

 

Properties have up to two years before final rules come into place. At present there is an amnesty as properties are asked to register their change of usage from private to commercial.

 

Thanon Phanpheephat said that many pool villas in Hua Hin had registered as "homestays". 

 

He said that the local authority in conjunction with other agencies are looking into the whole matter regarding the legality and rules connected to the letting of pool villas on a daily basis. 

 

The move refers to properties with four rooms or less catering to 20 people or less. 

 

Thaivisa notes that there have been many complaints in the past from Hua Hin residents, and elsewhere in Thailand, regarding villas being let to holidaying groups. 

 

Sometimes these have been referred to as "party houses" with noise disturbing other residents. 

 

Source: Talk News Online

 

 

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[GeorgeCross]

10 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said that the local authority in conjunction with other agencies are looking into the whole matter regarding the legality and rules connected to the letting of pool villas on a daily basis. 

 

The move refers to properties with four rooms or less catering to 20 people or less. 

 

i see one dude on airbnb the other day has 351 properties for rent (under management?) in the hua hin area. this is big business now.

 

i could be wrong but it looks like some villages are renting out unsold stock short term while they wait for buyers. either that or large sections of popular new villages have been bought solely to let out.

 

either way buyer beware right now i'd hate to be buying into one of those places

 

 

Edited June 19, 2019 by GeorgeCross

[GeorgeCross]

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

Properties have up to two years before final rules come into place. At present there is an amnesty as properties are asked to register their change of usage from private to commercial.

 

why the need to change usage for short lets but not long lets?

 

this whole thing is a mess i don't think anybody knows what to do even if they want to go legal.. hotel, homestay, villa, guesthouse.. really need some clear rules here.

 

 

Edited June 19, 2019 by GeorgeCross

[monkeycu]

4 rooms or less catering for 20 people

So these homes are to be the new slums  

 

[FritsSikkink]

"i don't think anybody knows what to do even if they want to go legal."

Hire a lawyer

[GeorgeCross]

21 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

"i don't think anybody knows what to do even if they want to go legal."

Hire a lawyer

 

we tried and got told "wait new rules nah"

 

 

[observer90210]

Hire a lawyer (and prepare the regulation chunky brown enveloppes.... but a bit more chunky as usual,  because Hua Hin is more expensive that a majority of other Thai beach resorts).

[manicmike68]

Does this mean that Airbnb will soon be illegal in Thailand? 

[GeorgeCross]

6 minutes ago, manicmike68 said:

Does this mean that Airbnb will soon be illegal in Thailand? 

means it will be "regulated", whatever the hell that means

[gk10002000]

10 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

i see one dude on airbnb the other day has 351 properties for rent (under management?) in the hua hin area. this is big business now.

 

i could be wrong but it looks like some villages are renting out unsold stock short term while they wait for buyers. either that or large sections of popular new villages have been bought solely to let out.

 

either way buyer beware right now i'd hate to be buying into one of those places

 

 

no doubt.  If anything like Pattaya, there would be a glut of condos and lots of empty rooms.  Frankly the whole air bnb thing sounds risky, and I would prefer a hotel.  But maybe the prices are great, so to each his own

[ericthai]

10 hours ago, monkeycu said:

4 rooms or less catering for 20 people

So these homes are to be the new slums  

 

The law states: a villa having 4 rooms or less, occupation of no more than 20 people then you dont need a hotel license. People are using this loop hole to rent daily, issue is allot have become party places. Most hotels have rules, villas mostly have no rules!

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

why the need to change usage for short lets but not long lets?

 

this whole thing is a mess i don't think anybody knows what to do even if they want to go legal.. hotel, homestay, villa, guesthouse.. really need some clear rules here.

 

 

The rule is clear... if it's for your own residence then fine.
if you're renting it out for any length of time it's a change of use & needs to be registered as commercial use.

[nickstav]

They are "party houses" and they're not just pool villas. Mostly Thais coming down for the weekend and holidays, but not exclusively Thais. Two on my street alone (only 8 houses total) and one big pool villa across the road that can accommodate large groups (and does).

[GeorgeCross]

good article on the damage being done to european cities by airbnb

 

tl/dr:

• in some cities more than half of available rentals are now airbnb
• rental rates for long terms rising by as much as 40%
• housing stock being depleted for residents
• 60K listings in paris alone

 

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jun/20/ten-cities-ask-eu-for-help-to-fight-airbnb-expansion

 

same or similar starting to happen here in hua hin for sure

 

 

[malcolminthemiddle]

On ‎6‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 7:24 AM, hotchilli said:

The rule is clear... if it's for your own residence then fine.
if you're renting it out for any length of time it's a change of use & needs to be registered as commercial use.

Can you please confirm the source of this rule? Thanks in advance.

[malcolminthemiddle]

Is there no legal remedy?