Christchurch City Councillors has voted to write to central government calling for a mandatory national register of short stay accommodation.

At at council meeting today motel operators, the hospitality industry and inner city residents told councillors Airbnb style operators were hollowing out the central city and stalling new hotel development.

The motion, brought by Councillor Nathaniel Herz Jardine.

Herz Jardine told councillors “ghost neighbourhoods” were popping up “like mushrooms” across the inner city, driven by made for Airbnb apartments being marketed to investors.

He said the council’s target of 20,000 inner city residents by 2028 was slipping badly out of reach.

Last year, he said, the city added 484 new homes but only 50 new residents.

“In other words, for every nine homes that we built, we got one more person living in the inner city,” Herz Jardine said.

He said major events like Robbie Williams and Super Weekend drove up short stay listings, and that supply did not disappear once the events were over.

“Instead of just being the capital for events, let’s be the capital for affordable family homes in the inner city as well.”

Three deputations spoke in support of the motion before the vote.

Motel operator Zita Pringle said Christchurch had no practical way of knowing which properties were short stays and urged the council to adopt the European Union’s existing registration model.

Richard Garling, who runs the Carnmore Hagley Park said traditional operators paid commercial rates and carried heavy compliance costs Airbnb hosts avoided.

“We obviously expect healthy competition and innovation in the market. We just feel that it should be on a fair playing field,” Garling said.

Ireinka Britnall, who has owned a small central city backpackers for 30 years, said Airbnbs should face the same regulations she did.