Cape Town residents are growing increasingly impatient with the lack of government regulations on Airbnb, as they feel they can no longer afford to live in the city.
Cape Town has one of the most Airbnb listings in the world, which is great for the economy and tourism. However, it has become a problem for those locals struggling to cope with the lack of affordable accommodation.
Locals have taken to Reddit to air their grievances:
@AnonomousWolf
I feel a vacancy tax would help Cape Town. Many cities across the world charge landlords fees for having their houses stand empty, it makes the city more affordable for locals. And ensures the land is actually used to its potential.
@PimpNamedNikNaks
There were at least three hosts in the City of Cape Town area with listings ranging between over 120 and 130 listings and four hosts with listings ranging between 95-98. Damn bro people playing monopoly out here
@dylmcc
If they were priced for locals, it would be awesome to be welcome so many of our fellow countrymen to our awesome city to come and enjoy it. But if you look at listing prices in Cape Town and pick cities in Europe/Aus/USA they're not that far off? Why - they're targeting foreigners. Locals are generally priced out.
If you compare Cape Town AirBNB prices with "normal" hotels (not crazy 5***** places) you'll usually see you get more bang for your buck in a hotel.
According to a tourism white paper, appropriate regulation of short-term rentals, including strict regulation of the duration of stays, is required - something Airbnb supports.
Short-term rentals can cost anything between R600 and R4,000 per day.
Real estate agents and investors are targeting properties in certain areas for the short-term rental market, which has driven up property and rental costs in the city, resulting in local residents being unable to compete with the demand for Airbnb in Cape Town when looking to rent or buy.
As a result of this the Airbnb Middle East and Africa regional lead, Velma Corcoran has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Tourism to collaborate on a national registration system for short-term rentals.
This aims to provide transparency into the short-term rental market and obtain the data needed to develop appropriate regulations.
Regarding specific policy and regulatory proposals, Corcoran said Airbnb believes that it is time to introduce new rules for short-term rentals in South Africa to ensure that South Africans can continue hosting Airbnb guests in their homes to make extra income.
Corcoran also questioned whether existing regulations governing tourism should be simplified as online booking platforms like Airbnb take away the need for lots of regulation and if there is a need for in-person checks if the platform already allows for that.
In 2017 the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA), and the Department of Tourism revealed its intention to regulate Airbnb and other home-sharing apps in April 2019 through the Tourism Amendment Bill.
However, in October 2023, FEDHASA warned that the regulations must focus on job creation and that stricter regulations could affect smaller accommodation operators in poorer communities, including those that benefit from being on Airbnb.
Among the proposals under consideration is to give the Minister of Tourism the power to determine certain thresholds for Airbnb locations in South Africa, including limits on how many nights a customer can book at one location.
Tourism Minister Patricia De Lille has said that once all the feedback received on the white paper has been appropriately collated and incorporated, she will present it to the cabinet.
IOL Travel