By Alesha Capone
Residents of a Williams Landing street who believe an Airbnb house is being used as an illegal brothel are calling on authorities to take action.
Residents say there are often different women, sometimes accompanied by a man, who stay at the house for three to five days at a time.
Multiple websites have advertisements for an escort who purports to be based in the street and neighbours have seen a red light in the window of the house.
Star Weekly has spoken to several neighbours in the street, all of whom want to remain anonymous.
They say they have taken their concerns to Wyndham council and Airbnb. They’ve also sent photos and videos of activities associated with the property to police.
“We pretty much all have contacted the council and emailed Airbnb, and there has been no follow-up, nothing,” Brad said.
Another resident said people mistakenly knock on their door looking for drugs or a prostitute.
“I also feel abandoned by police, as nil follow-up has ever occurred,” the resident said.
Brad is so fed-up that he has turned to western metropolitan MP Bernie Finn for help.
In Parliament last week, Mr Finn asked the Minister for Local Government to contact Wyndham council on the resident’s behalf.
“It’s an appalling situation,” Mr Finn said.
“You cannot have illegal brothels popping up in residential areas, especially with families nearby.”
Brad, said he was “in no doubt” that illegal sex work was occurring at the house.
He said he knocked on the door of the residence about a month ago, and a woman answered the door and invited him in.
“I said, “How much?” and she said, “Don’t talk outside,” Brad said.
He said the woman then looked around before slamming the door shut.
Brad, who has a young son, said he was worried about having an illegal brothel in a neighbourhood where children live.
“You’re inviting potential sexual predators, who are looking for sex, into the area,” he said.
“On our way to the park, we pass this brothel which is minutes from our house.”
“It’s just a constant dread and annoyance.”
A Victoria Police spokesperson said they had received reports of an illegal brothel operating at an address in Williams Landing throughout June.
“As the investigation remains ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage,” the spokesperson said.
Wyndham’s director of city operations Stephen Thorpe, said the council has no record of any complaints about a brothel in Williams Landing but had received one complaint about a party being held at the property in question.
“The complainant was advised that short-term rentals are not regulated by council, and they should contact police if they have concerns in relation to anti-social behaviour,” Mr Thorpe said.
Mr Thorpe said that if police established a brothel was operating illegally the council’s planning investigation officers would work with police to “take appropriate enforcement action”.
Airbnb’s head of public policy, Derek Nolan, said community safety was a top priority for the company and Airbnb enforced strict policies including a ban on parties.
“We also continue to proactively and collaboratively work with police, take action against guests and hosts who breach our policies, and invest in measures such as our high-risk reservation screening system,” he said.
