Accommodation giant Airbnb warns political parties against tinkering with the sharing economy rules

AIRBNB has warned South Australia’s political parties to maintain the status quo as pressure grows from the Australian Hotels Association, and the tourism industry, to change the rules.

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A MAJOR rise in the number of South Australians opening their doors as accommodation providers has prompted a call for political parties to leave the sharing system alone.

As sharing economy companies are set to come under increased scrutiny in the lead up to the March state election, Airbnb Australia and New Zealand boss Brent Thomas says more regulation could damage tourism and cost jobs.

The company has released data showing significant growth in the online system. Rules around the sharing economy in SA are relaxed compared to other states, where accommodation providers are limited in the number of days they operate and face regulations that more closely resemble those of hotels.

But the Australian Hoteliers Association SA has again raised concerns, arguing that unregulated operators undermine investment in the SA.

Figures released exclusively to the Sunday Mail, show that in the past year:

THE number of Airbnb operators in SA has grown by 46 per cent, to 45,000;

THE number of guests from outside SA who stayed in an Airbnb grew by 102 per cent to 155,000;

THE typical Airbnb host in SA earns $4960.90 a year and $6100 a year in Adelaide;

AIRBNB hosts in Adelaide earned more than $10m and hosts in SA $26 million and

MORE than 66,300 guests from outside SA stayed in an Airbnb in Adelaide, an increase of 95 per cent.

Mr Thomas said the figures supported the status quo.

“As the election fast approaches, our message to all sides of politics is simple, leave the fair, innovative rules for home sharing as they are.

“The last thing we need is any needless, potentially damaging regulatory uncertainty, which would only have the potential to hurt tourism and cost local jobs.

Australian Hotels Association SA general manager Ian Horne said unregulated accommodation providers avoid obligations such as taxes and disability access.

“Increasingly, international cities around the world are recognising that too many operators are commercial in their intent, but hide behind the facade that Airbnb is really just mum and dads renting out their spare room now that the kids have moved out,” he said.

“Mum and dads are not the issue. Our concern continues to be that, unchecked, such disruptive services undermine the investor confidence, cannibalise markets and ultimately cost real jobs.”

“Cities around the world are waking up to the reality that such disruptive services need boundaries and obligations so as to preserve and enhance the capacity of licenced accommodation providers to invest and reinvest in vital infrastructure and jobs-generating activities.” Premier Jay Weatherill said the State Government was considering sharing-economy policies ahead of the election.

“As we modernise our economy, we want South Australia to become the home of the next generation of sharing and collaborative enterprises,” he said. The Government had sought to manage the transition to a sharing economy and impacts on existing industry.

“With Uber, for example, the State Government ensured taxi drivers are compensated for the disruption to their industry,” Mr Weatherill said.