Home » News » Airbnb says short-stay regulations will act as a “handbrake” on tourism growth in WA

22 February, 2019

Airbnb says short-stay regulations will act as a “handbrake” on tourism growth in WA

Airbnb’s Australian manager has spoken out against “heavy-handed” regulations on the company’s properties, arguing proposed regulations would “act as a handbrake” on tourism growth in WA.

Sam McDonagh made the comments during WA Parliament’s Economics and Industry Standing Committee into the regulation of short-stay accommodation.

See also: Airbnb slams tourism council’s “one-size-fits-all” recommendations for short-stay sector

McDonagh hit back at the Tourism Council of WA’s claims that Airbnb and similar businesses were costing the state economy hundreds of millions of dollars a year because the lack of regulations often makes its properties cheaper than hotels.

He told the committee Airbnb hosts had helped to inject $100 million into the state in the past 12 months.

“Airbnb drives bottom-up growth and shares wealth with people and places that have traditionally missed out,” McDonagh said, according to the ABC.

The tourism council’s recommendations include introducing a state register of residential short-stay accommodation.

Residential properties would be required to meet insurance, hosting and disability access standards, as well as agree to a code of conduct, to be listed on the register proposed by the tourism council.

The short-stay accommodation platform advocated for “fair and progressive” regulations with a “light touch” approach for the majority of its properties.

Brent Thomas, Airbnb’s head of public policy, suggested uniform statewide rules and a “sliding-regulation” system which depends on the nature of the property.

“The regulation you need for a two-bedroom home here in WA should be very different from the sort of regulation you need for a 200-bedroom international hotel,” he said, according to the ABC.

“The way you regulate a car is different from the way you regulate a semi-trailer.”

Thomas pointed out the NSW model as a possible option.

In NSW, if you share a room in your own home for short-term accommodation, you don’t need to seek council approval or register.

And if you rent your whole home and don’t live in it for less than 189 nights a year, you also don’t need to seek approval or register.

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