20 September
The Greens are urging the Malinauskas Government to follow Victoria’s lead and move to regulate Airbnb and short stay accommodation.
Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews has announced a 7.5 per cent levy on Airbnb.
“This move towards regulation is a step in the right direction. The Malinauskas Government should follow the lead of its Labor counterparts in Victoria and implement a similar levy here, with the money raised directed towards social housing”, said Greens SA Housing Spokesperson Robert Simms MLC.
“But the SA Government should go further and cap the number of nights a property can be listed on short stay accommodation. This works in many places around the world. San Francisco and London have a cap of 90 days, whereas Airbnb is capped at 180 days in Sydney.”
“Short term rentals are having a big impact on the housing supply across the state, particularly in some regional areas where houses are sitting vacant for six months of the year during the off-season. Meanwhile, we have desperate people sleeping on the street. It's time to regulate this industry."
The Greens introduced a motion in May calling on the Government to cap the number of nights a property can be listed on short stay rentals or offer incentives to encourage more properties into the long-term rental market.