Gisborne homes needed for R&V festival-goers

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The demand for accommodation for Rhythm and Vines festival-goers is stronger this year than ever before but Rhythm Houses helps meet the need, say organisers.

Along with three-day tickets to the festival, hotel and motel packages have been snapped up.

To help meet the demand, local homeowners can rent their houses over the New Year period through the holiday home rental business Rhythm Houses.

“The wait list for houses is very large this year,” says R&V chief executive Kieran Spillane. “We welcome all Gisborne homeowners interested in the opportunity to earn income by renting their house. What makes our service stand out from others is the level of personal attention and the safeguards we provide to homeowners.”

The service includes marketing, reference checks, pre-and post-inspections, and security-cleanliness checks carried out during the rental.

Staff are on call during the rentals to attend to any tenant queries. All rentals are secured with a refundable bond, and a rubbish/recycling removal service is provided.

“Many of our homeowners have been renting with us for many years,” says Mr Spillane. “The system works well to protect the owners and their assets.”

A new platform enables owners to create their own listings and manage the rental applications in an Airbnb style interface.

When the site goes public this week, selected applicants will be able to book houses.

Most tenants require accommodation for December 29 to 31, the three nights of the festival.

To ensure a more worthwhile rental period for the homeowner, organisers place a minimum five-night rental period. However homeowners are able to set their own minimum -night rental period.

Homeowners can also choose whether to accept R&V staff, sponsors, artists and/or reference-checked attendees.

They can earn from $400 to $1500 a night, depending on the size, location and amenities of the house.

No fees are required to list a house with R&V. Customers choose the per-night rate they want to receive for their rental, R&V adds a 20 percent service fee and this makes up the rate to the customer.

On receipt of an application to rent someone's house, R&V organisers check prospective tenants' references, provide details about the applicant, and the homeowner can decide whether or not to proceed with the tenancy.