The Victorian Greens are demanding the Andrew’s Government impose a 90-day a year cap on short stay listings after media reports emerged that state cabinet will on Monday consider a proposal to impose a new levy on accommodation offered by companies such as Airbnb.
Over the past year the Greens have been urging the Victorian Labor Government to regulate the lucrative short-stay industry, in a bid to alleviate the rental crisis by releasing thousands of homes onto the long-term rental market.
Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha Ratnam, said that imposing a levy on short stays alone would raise an insignificant amount of revenue for the state, but without a cap on the days a property can be listed as a holiday home, will do nothing to make more homes available for Victorians who desperately need them right now.
“Strong short-stay regulations in Victoria would force owners to make homes available as long-term rentals or for owner occupiers, which is actually what is needed right now to increase rental supply, rather than simply increasing the price of holidays.
Ratnam said that many places around the world only allowed accommodation hosts to rent out their properties for a maximum number of days each year: 180-days in Sydney and parts of NSW, and 90-days in cities such as London and San Francisco.
Ratnam said that without regulation of the short stays industry, the government’s levy could make the housing problem worse.
“This is another example of Labor tinkering around the edges wanting to look like they are doing something to help renters, when they are clearly just caving into industry demands once again”, she said.
As stated by the Leader of the Victorian Greens, Dr Samantha Ratnam:
“For the Greens to support a new short stay levy in the Parliament, such a proposal would need to be accompanied by capping the number of days a property can be listed and imposing a rent freeze or caps.”
“Strong short-stay regulations in Victoria would force owners to make homes available to help renters now, not simply increase the price of holidays.
“Cities around the world like New York, Tokyo, London and Berlin regulate their short-stay market. It’s time for Victoria to grow up and do the same.
“The Greens will not support policies that alone could make the rental crisis worse. To support renters we need tougher regulation of short stay accommodation, and an urgent rent freeze.
“If these reports are true it will prove the state government has chosen the side of billionaire corporations like Airbnb, over thousands of Victorian renters.”
