Trips to Gozo are a well-deserved break for many, but they often mean sleepless nights for Gozitans who have to deal with increased rubbish on their doorsteps, according to San Lawrenz mayor Noel Formosa.

The mayor is urging visitors to keep noise to a minimum in the late night and early morning hours, adding farmhouse owners should ensure tenants were aware of rubbish collection times.

“Visitors need to keep in mind that while they are on holiday here, those sleeping next door will probably have to go to work the following day,” Mr Formosa told Times of Malta.

Insisting that he was not generalising and that there were “responsible landlords and tenants” who respected their villager hosts, Mr Formosa noted that the situation in San Lawrenz was similar to that of other localities across Gozo.

Owners make money, and good luck, but should respect rest of us

Gozo was an exclusive destination known for its quietness, however for the island to continue attracting visitors, all had to collectively be more responsible for what went on, he said.

Farmhouse and apartment owners should inform tenants of the ‘house rules’, because locals were having to endure sleepless nights, with loud noise continuing into the early morning hours – not just indoors but also in the streets, Mr Formosa said.

Noel Formosa.

He said the police greatly collaborated with his council and officers would turn up on site when they were called to see to noisy tenants. However, as things stood, people had to file a report for the police to take action and not everyone was willing to do so, the mayor noted.

One had also to bear in mind that since tenants changed continuously, the police had to be called repeatedly to warn new visitors about excessive noise.

Tenants should also be aware of rubbish collection times, because the local council, which invested heavily in the embellishment of the locality, had to fork out extra money to clean up after visitors, Mr Formosa remarked.

“Farmhouse and apartment owners are making money, and good luck to them, but at least, they should respect the rest of us and help keep the village in good shape for their benefit too. This will ensure that tourism to the locality remains sustainable.

“Whoever is renting out should not only feel responsible for their own property but also the surrounding environment,” he said, calling for mutual respect.