Online holiday rental platform Airbnb has issued a statement following the Department of Tourism’s announcement of a White Paper which would regulate small-time Airbnb hosts renting out rooms or garden cottages.
The White Paper was in addition to the Tourism Amendment Bill which stated that “short-term home rentals" would be legislated under the Tourism Act on 2019.
Basically, the Tourism Amendment Bill could give Minister of Tourism Patricia De Lille more power to determine the “thresholds” regarding short-term home rentals listed on Airbnb and other home-sharing apps.
Operators claiming to be private homeowners offering rooms for rent that are actually small-to-medium-sized guesthouses will likely be the most affected, financially
Considering the cost of living and rising inflation rates, many hosts depend on the income derived from these short-term rentals, explained Velma Corcoran, Airbnb’s Regional Lead, Middle East Africa.
Corcoran further added that a third of guests travelling to South Africa said their Airbnb rental enabled them to experience an area they probably wouldn’t have visited, which in turn boosted local businesses and communities that don't typically benefit from tourism.
"Airbnb has long led calls for new rules that give local authorities the tools they need to know what is going on in their communities, support local hosts who rely on the additional income, and clampdown on speculators who drive local concerns,“ said Corcoran.
“The Ministry of Tourism recently committed to taking this forward, and we look forward to continuing to work together with the government to support the recovery of the tourism sector and help build inclusive tourism in South Africa".