Up to 63,000 Australians who used Airbnb between January 2018 and August 2021 may be eligible for compensation after the platform admitted it misled people by quoting prices for Australian accomodation in US dollars. The Federal Court has also hit Airbnb Ireland – the parent company that runs the Australian operations, including the website and… Read more »
The current housing crisis has renewed debates about how to regulate short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb. The international research on the impact of these rentals is clear: when landlords “host” tourists rather than residents, housing supply is depleted, rents rise and neighbourhoods change. Given Australia’s dire shortage of rental housing, restricting short-term rentals seems… Read more »
COVID-related travel restrictions and the sudden drop in tourism provided an ideal natural experiment to examine the impact of shifts in the supply of short-term rental accommodation. Our research, released today, found even modest reductions in Airbnb listings, as owners switched to longer-term rentals, increased supply of these properties. The result was lower local rents.… Read more »
Morning and happy Thursday. There’s plenty of big news from the tech world, so let’s go. 1. Ousted WeWork founder sues investor WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann is suing the company biggest backer, SoftBank, for failing to buy US$3 billion worth of WeWork stock from the former CEO and other shareholders, claiming the Japanese investor… Read more »
1. Airbnb’s IPO may call in sick 007 is not the only one (see below) laid low by coronavirus. Airbnb’s much-anticipated IPO, previously announced for 2020, may be delayed until 2021, Bloomberg reports. Like many in the travel and tourism sector, Airbnb’s been hit hard by the sudden contraction brought on by travel bans and… Read more »
It’s Friday. Here’s out the week ends. 1. In for the long haul It’s been a tough week for investors as global markets were smashed by coronavirus fears. The ASX All Ordinaries Index, after recently soaring through the 7000 barrier, is down nearly 10% for the week going into Friday’s trade, sitting at around… Read more »
Short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb are increasingly displacing hotels and holiday letting agencies as the go-to form of accommodation. The ease of booking it all in seconds on your smartphone adds to the appeal of renting a well-appointed flat in Noosaville, or having basil or turmeric on hand in the kitchen of your Katoomba… Read more »
Hello Thursday! Let’s see how the rest of the day pans out. 1. Vodafone and TPG win merger decision The $15 billion merger between Vodafone and TPG will go ahead following a Federal Court case that today ruled in favour of the country’s third and fourth biggest telcos and against competition regulator, the… Read more »
It’s Friday and major stuff’s happening. Like. 1. Airbnb will audit houses after Vice exposed a massive scam After 11 years in business, a US$35 valuation and hopes for an IPO, the normally aloof house sharing platform Airbnb is actually going to take more than a casual glance at what’s going on with the… Read more »
If you’ve just lodged your FY2019 tax return and left off income from renting out a room for a few nights on Airbnb, you’d better let the Australian Tax Office (ATO) you need to make some amendments quickly. The global online accommodation site has given the ATO the rental income data – and much more… Read more »
Hometime is going from strength to strength, announcing its launch into top tourism markets Byron Bay and the Sunshine Coast.
Airbnb is making a play for the luxury travel market, today unveiling a series of new offerings as part of a roadmap for its “core Homes business”.
Airbnb, the undeniable poster child of the sharing economy, may be about to face one of its toughest PR battles yet.
The Room Xchange connects those in need of accommodation with with providers who, in turn, require someone to help them a little around the house each day
Sydney startup Hometime, a property management service for the likes of Airbnb and other players in the short-term rental space, has raised $1.5 million in a seed round led by Asia Principal Capital (APC).
‘Have I gone too far?’ How founders can beat their startup demons 
Smart hotels get even smarter: 72 Byte to launch in Australia with AI expert backing 
Tassie carbon accounting startup banks $5.3 million Seed round 
Eucalyptus head of growth Matt Rossi departs to launch his own marketing startup, Oodle 
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