BEST PRACTICE REGULATORY REGIME FOR SHORT-TERM RENTAL ACCOMMODATION FEB 2018 COMMERCIAL-IN-CONFIDENCE

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1 BEST PRACTICE REGULATORY REGIME FOR SHORT-TERM RENTAL ACCOMMODATION FEB 2018

2 ABOUT HOMEAWAY/STAYZ Australia s number one online holiday rental website, HomeAway/Stayz allows travellers to search and compare a huge variety of amazing holiday homes to ensure a unique and memorable accommodation experience wherever they vacation in Australia. With more than 45,000 holiday rentals in over 2,000 unique locations across Australia, HomeAway/Stayz offers whole homes ranging from the highly aspirational and unique to the everyday getaway, suiting every budget and family size.

3 SHORT-TERM RENTAL ACCOMMODATION IN AUSTRALIA Renting out a beach shack, country cottage or city apartment has been a holiday tradition for decades. Short-term rental accommodation is not new, but online platforms have made transactions between owners and users more transparent and efficient. The industry has become a significant part of the tourism accommodation sector, particularly in regional areas where quality accommodation is limited.

4 SHORT-TERM RENTALS MAKE AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY The short-term rental accommodation sector contributes close to $6 billion to the Australian economy and supports 40,823 FTE jobs. Importantly, 20,412 (50%) of these jobs are located in regional Australia where tourism makes a critical contribution to economic prosperity and provides ongoing opportunities for employment. Source: ACIL Allen Consulting (2016)

5 SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE HELPING TO CLOSE THE ACCOMMODATION SUPPLY GAP IN TOURIST LOCATIONS Short-term rental accommodation platforms booked 7.1 million nights of accommodation for 4 million visitors, with property owners and managers earning just over $1 billion in revenue. Traditional accommodation providers (comprising hotels, motels and serviced apartments of 15 rooms or more) provided 60.3 million nights of accommodation at a total cost of $10.6 billion. Source: ACIL Allen Consulting (2016)

6 OUR PROPOSALS FOR IMPROVING SHORT-TERM RENTAL ACCOMMODATION We are willing to work with governments to improve home owner conduct, give more certainty to all stakeholders and promote the ongoing growth of the tourism economy. To that end, we suggest governments implement the following regulatory actions at a state-wide level: 1. Compulsory and simple registration process of all short-term rental accommodation. 2. The creation of a tough, mandatory short-term rental code of conduct for owners and managers including a three strikes rule for those who do not meet the new standards. 3. A new industry-funded and administered body to process and adjudicate questions about amenity, noise and overcrowding at short-term rental accommodation properties.

7 GETTING SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS RIGHT Our proposals will solve the issues of short-term rental accommodation by: Improving understanding about the location of short-term rental accommodation properties. Allowing state and local governments to better plan infrastructure and municipal services funding. Imposing more responsibility for guest behaviour on individual owners and managers and better property management standards. Creating a clearer process for dealing with complaints about individual properties. Importantly these proposals will solve the issues of neighbourhood amenity, housing supply and complaint management without damaging the economic potential of short-term rental accommodation.

8 Eacham Curry Director of Corporate Affairs, HomeAway/Stayz Level 18, 1 Martin Place, Sydney, NSW 2000 P: +61 (0) M: +61 (0) E: ecurry@expedia.com