Proposed regulation aims to boost supply amid housing crisis
Brisbane homeowners will soon need a permit to rent out their properties on Airbnb as the city council aims to alleviate the pressure on housing supply.
The city’s lord mayor, Adrian Schrinner (pictured above), announced the plan following a year-long review of the short-stay sector.
The proposed permit system requires properties to obtain appropriate planning approvals, body corporate support, and a 24/7 property manager to operate as Airbnb rentals. Properties that fail to meet these requirements must return to the long-term rental market to address Brisbane’s housing demand.
Brisbane to introduce Airbnb permits for property owners amid housing crisis crackdown https://t.co/cumjQUc6xQ
— Guardian Australia (@GuardianAus) June 12, 2024
“If you are in an apartment building, and your neighbour wants to switch over to short-stay accommodation, the body corporate doesn’t have the power to effectively decide whether that can or can’t happen,” Schrinner was quoted as saying in a report by The Guardian. “And obviously people in a building will have a view on whether this is a good thing or not. At the moment, they don’t have the power to stop it.
“And you’ve seen examples, in some places, where there’s been real concern and conflict in buildings as a result of this. So, we need to work with the state government to get rules in place that will help regulate this to give body corporates more powers.”
Currently, the Brisbane city council imposes higher rates for short-stay accommodations, and Schrinner indicated these rates will increase further.
“They’re not using the house for standard residential purpose, they’re using it effectively for a business purpose,” Schrinner further said in the Guardian report. “And so, we’ve linked the rates then to more commercial rates.”
The housing crisis has impacted South-East Queensland more than most regions, with demand pressures having driven double-digit gains for apartment prices and residential land in the Greater Brisbane region over the past year, according to an RPM Group report.
As housing supply issues persist nationwide, other states like New South Wales are considering short-term accommodation levies to encourage property owners to opt for long-term rentals. Victoria already imposes a 7.5% tax on Airbnb properties.
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