Owners of businesses offering public accommodation such as guest houses, common lodging houses, bed and breakfast operations and hotels  are being urged to ensure that their enterprises are properly registered with the Mayor and City Council.

The M&CC said in a press release that there appears to be “a trend where some persons are converting their domestic dwelling to bed and breakfast and other public accommodations without the appropriate permission.”

This, the M&CC noted,  is worrying because the council is denied much needed revenue while its officers are unable to  vouch for the integrity of the public health arrangements in such establishments.

The release  cited a recent case in which Public Health Department  officers visited a guest house at Lot 272 Forshaw Street, Queenstown   and found that it was an unregistered operation.  Since then the Chief Environmental Health Officer has advised the owner to apply for the appropriate  permission to operate the business within the city.

Under the  Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01, all businesses such as guest houses, common lodging houses, bed and breakfast accommodations and hotels  must be registered with the municipality, the release stated.