This Month
Barrenjoey’s bankers are all about founder mode
Founder worship is rarely seen in investment banking. Except at Australia’s favourite finance start-up.
- Mark Di Stefano
November
Google reviews ruined Ed’s company. Now he’s making $15m fighting back
Ed Butcher and Ed Godfrey set up a no win, no fee online review removal company called RepSpert in 2020. It’s grown by 300 per cent each year.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
The $2.25m sale of an Airbnb that dragged out over four weeks
This was a difficult house to sell because of restricted opening times but its price point below the suburb median ensured the buyer was patient.
- Michael Bleby
October
- Opinion
- The AFR View
Victoria’s taxing and spending comes home to roost
Victoria could restore its reputation for financial discipline if it started running its infrastructure ambitions in a more efficient way.
- The AFR View
Labor weighs ban on hidden fees on airline and concert tickets
Labor is preparing to ban businesses from making it difficult to cancel subscriptions, add hidden fees to online purchases, and raise prices at the checkout.
- Michael Read
September
Holiday home rentals ‘not to blame’ for sky-high UK house prices
A global backlash against Airbnb properties has brewed in recent years, and some cities such as New York are severely restricting the company’s activity.
- Joe Wright
Greece to ban new short-term lets in Athens for at least a year
Like many other European tourism destinations, Greece must balance a profitable short-stay industry with the needs of locals facing a housing shortage.
- Stamos Prousalis and Angeliki Koutantou
Kamala Harris’ old flat now listed on Airbnb
The current landlord boasts about how the vice president used to own his San Francisco apartment. But he declined to be interviewed, citing privacy.
- Heather Knight
Music fans caught in industry’s surge-pricing war
Surge pricing – where ticket prices peak with demand – has been the scourge of the Oasis reunion tour. Can anything be done to stop the rot?
- James Hall
August
Airbnb boom hits a wall as landlords slash prices to lure tourists
A broad backlash from residents and resurgent interest in hotels has made life more difficult for property owners, forcing rates down in many popular areas.
- Larry Schlesinger
New signs of weakness in US economy, as consumers halt spending
Disney theme parks, Airbnb home rentals and Hilton hotels are among the latest companies seeing weaker consumer demand.
- Gregory Meyer, Anna Nicolaou and Christopher Grimes
July
Meet the mayor who sees Airbnb as an agent for good
It’s better to have a short-term rental in a house that’s been refurbished than to have a ruin, says the head of Portugal’s second-largest city.
- Joao Lima
June
The execs behind an equity sale to save Australia’s ‘surfing bible’
Tracks Magazine has been published since 1970, and was sold to three corporate surfing enthusiasts in 2021. Now they’re selling equity to raise $2 million.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
May
Fifth Estate backs Airbnb property manager Hometime; kicks off debt raise
Hometime, which is backed by NAB Ventures and ASI Growth, has raised $10 million in a funding round led by Dane Roberts’ Fifth Estate.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
April
Venice charges tourists an entry fee. Capping numbers may be next
Italy has begun charging €5 to visit the unique city, sparking protests from locals who say a housing supply crisis is the main problem.
- Donato Paolo Mancini
‘Mission finally accomplished’: How Seven got its Lehrmann exclusive
After a four-month mission, thousands of dollars, and allegations of prostitutes and drugs, Seven finally secured a tell-all interview with Bruce Lehrmann.
- Sam Buckingham-Jones
March
I was stung by an Irukandji, this is what happened next
Most Aussies have heard about stinger season in north Queensland. But not everyone survives the full-body experience of encountering an Irukandji jellyfish.
- Will Willitts
February
NSW mulls levy on Airbnb rentals to fix housing crunch
Tourists could be hit with levies for Airbnb-style rentals to steer more homes towards residential leases as NSW considers hardening its approach.
- Luke Costin
January
The tourism boom that is freezing Icelanders out of the housing market
The influx of visitors is good news for the economy but iscausing problems in finding housing for the roughly 400,000 Icelanders.
- Ragnhildur Sigurdardottir
Should I move my rental property into my super fund?
A reader with a sizeable property portfolio wonders about the tax and stamp duty ramifications of getting some of it into his SMSF.
- John Wasiliev