This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
So the South African tourism ministry wants to regulate AirBnB to the extent that it decides on:
how many nights I am permitted to host;
how much I can charge
where an AirBnB may be situated
The proposals by government are bizarre. It takes away the choice of where the guest wants to stay; “Sorry, excellent guest house has reached its threshold; you now have a choice of dump 1 or 2 down the road”.
Effectively, it would be a waste of time making my AirBnB an attractive, affordable option than the one next door and the concept of being a “superhost” would have no value.
Are hotels and their ilk going to be subjected to the same rules? I bet not. “Sorry, Sheraton has reached its quota. You must now stay at Freedom Revolutionary Hotel in Controlville”.
This is nothing more than a collusion between government and a failing hotel industry business model that is charging exhorbitant prices, and ‘animal farm’.
I see in the media that Airbnb are “in discussions” with government. I just hope that Airbnb puts its hosts’ interests first.
“local hotels are concerned that it has come at a cost to their industry. They claim that unregistered accommodation establishments listed on the site are diverting business away from established BnBs and hotels.”
My heart bleeds.
@Joan Thanks, Joan, all my fingers and toes are crossed! Not that I think there’s anything wrong with regulation as such - so far in Andalucia it’s not onerous and seems to be working well. And I’m well aware of the terrible shortage of low-cost housing in SA cities. But I’m not going to be sad if the Lord Nelson hotel is losing money because of my little studio!
@denigib I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Or maybe we could try to bribe the Minister of Tourism … no, I didn’t say that.
