One of the topics we'll be tackling at the Host Nation Short Stay Summit will be regulation. I'm currently working with the industry body, ASTRA on strategies to help make the voices of the real industry - the owners, hosts and managers- heard.
Sounds a bit heavy but we all need to be on top of this and do our bit in our local areas. Here's a post I wrote this week in LinkedIn. You might want to get a cuppa.....😉😂🙏
Over the past weeks this debate has hotted up with the Victorian government introducing the highest tax on STRA in the world and Byron Bay introducing the tightest caps (60 nights only).
How on earth did we get here? As a veteran of some 20+ years renting mostly vintage beach shacks, I can confirm this is a complex matter but there are some pretty compelling arguments as to why this knockdown is unfair, unfounded and will have significant consequences in regional areas.
Here’s just a few points:
The Queensland government recently released a study by University of Queensland which found that dwelling supply, not STRA, had the greatest effect on price increases and that restrictions failed to account for the diverse nature of STRA.
A big part of the market is short term stays for non- leisure activities like people having medical procedures, healthcare workers, construction workers, visiting sporting teams, defence contractors, emergency accommodation, people moving house or renovating, family separations- the list is long.
The tax on short stays in Victoria will be paid by the consumer, not the global booking platforms who will just pass it on. In regional areas where there are limited accommodation options, (where the typical family stay will have an extra $60-$120 to pay, for example) will mean there’s less money to spend locally and they may choose to stay fewer nights.
The point that few have mentioned is that this STRA industry is powered by older women! The very demographic that is at most risk of homelessness, has little to no superannuation and is good at looking after people and homes. Women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and even 70s are the backbone of STRA. They includes cleaners, housekeepers, rental agents, administrators and many, many owners.
The biggest rental agency on the NSW South Coast reports over 75% of their staff and contractors are older women. Many are carers or parents who like the flexible hours and many are women getting back on their feet after domestic violence, divorce or difficult periods in their lives. I found myself in this cohort when my husband became very ill and required my support on top of looking after a special needs teenager. The flexibility of our STRA business was the only choice I had to be carer and breadwinner.
Policy makers need to engage with actual STRA operators to understand how this complex business works. The superficial stereotypes of STRA operators are mostly wrong. We encourage all states to introduce regulations and a code of conduct like NSW has for starters and get us at the table to help make effective decisions.
Here's the link to an article about Queensland's research which found in favour of STRA