The City’s Development Management Scheme currently permits short-term letting for transient guests from dwelling houses and a second dwelling, but not from flats,” said Nieuwoudt.
The new provision will allow for short-term letting from a house or flat for a period not exceeding 30 consecutive days. The City has proposed this amendment in response to the increase in short-term letting via online platforms such as Airbnb. Explaining that the measurement of building height is complex, Lizel Steenkamp, senior media liaison for the City of Cape Town said, in the simplest terms the building height will be measured from a pre-approved “ground level” or lowest point. The City will produce a ground-level map that will cover all areas of the municipality and specify reference points .