Hotel developments are quietly disappearing and 'ghost communities' are on the rise as Christchurch's council has raised concerns over Airbnbs.

Four motel and hotel operators urged elected members at a policy and planning committee meeting to support a mandatory registration system for short term accommodation providers.

Councillor Nathaniel Herz Jardine wants Christchurch to take charge in rallying other councils to demand change. 

"All we ask for is...we need the data. It's not saying we want to ban them, it's not saying anything like that. It's just saying, at the moment, we're in this crazy situation where we're hiring compliance officers - they have to do stake outs and surfing online and fielding complaints about who's renting out what."  

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