South Australia considers short-stay accommodation registry amid housing concerns

Accountant Jenny Bickley makes about $45,000 in profit each year from guests hiring her dual-abode property in Mount Gambier.

"The Airbnb model is way better than renting," she said.

While Ms Bickley is one of many South Australians who run a short-stay accommodation business, it is not exactly clear how many there actually are.

Counting the beds

Last year, the state government wrapped up its inquiry into the sector amid nationwide concerns about the model affecting housing and rental affordability.

Among the takeaways: SA lacked the data.

The committee floated a registration scheme, a concept already seen in Western Australia and New South Wales.

The Short Term Accommodation Association Australia (STAAA) backed a statewide register but wanted the approach reconsidered and warned of "unnecessary duplication".

The details have not been locked in, but a discussion paper indicated councils could apply their own land-use codes and decide rates, something the STAAA was not keen on.

"We need one state, one register and one consistent registration system," executive director Keiran Craig-Jones said.

Ms Bickley, who fought council rate hikes in Mount Gambier, believed registration could help shake any "cowboys" operating unlawfully but echoed the STAAA's concerns.

Ms Bickley said most of her booking were people visiting the town for events.

More data, more beds?

Fourth generation farmer David Galpin entered the world of short-stays last year when he pitched his purpose-built paddock-view property in Penola as a luxury escape.

Mr Galpin welcomed the register and believed it could inform the family's future business moves and even lead to more short-stay rentals.

Registry risks

Ms Bickley said she understood the benefit for government decision-making, but was concerned about potential security issues.

"Nobody actually knows the location [of my property] until they complete the booking," she said.

Mr Galpin was less concerned by the risks of a public register given his farm was "different to having a flat or something in a city or town".

Ms Craig-Jones said while security was a "legitimate issue to consider", she was not aware of any increased burglary, squatting or similar offending following registers in other jurisdictions.

Short-stay accommodation challenges

National Shelter chief executive Jackson Hills said there were hundreds of local government areas nationwide, but about 40 or 50 faced "a much bigger challenge" around short-stay accommodation.

In certain hotspots, such as Noosa in Queensland, he said policymakers may have "got the balance wrong" given shortages in the local workforce.

Mr Hills said Australia would be better off understanding what the actual levels were before moving to "arbitrary policy responses".

"There are local governments focusing on their local economies and that's exactly where the conversation should be," he said.

Public consultation for South Australia's registry closes on October 30 at 5pm.