Flat Chat Wrap #45 – Airbnb bubble at bursting point?

It’s a short and (hopefully) sweet Flat Chat Wrap this week with JimmyT flying solo as he looks at the clouds gathering over Airbnb and other holiday letting websites – and one ray of sunshine.

The bright spot is Airbnb’s country pubs promotion which is bringing a bit of rural Australia into our homes … and maybe getting some of us out of the city and into the country. You can see some of the videos HERE.

But the rest of the news is pretty gloomy for Airbnb and the other short-term holiday letting industry.

As related elsewhere on this page, a major Airbnb-related (but not connected) management firm, AndChill, has gone bust with $3.6 million in debts.

Then there’s the squeeze on holiday lets from insurers and the tax office, all exacerbated by the growing push for holiday let registers.

Your home and contents insurance probably doesn’t cover you for damage done by (and to) holiday let guests.

And the ATO is getting names and numbers from the sgencies to tell them who is letting flats, where they’re letting them and how much they might be making from them.

Oh, and you might want to check if you have overdone the tax deductions for costs related to the flat you’ve been letting to holiday guests.

It’s enough to drive a host to drink … preferably in a country pub.

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OTHER LINKS:

Jimmy Thomson’s website

Sue Williams website

Jimmy’s Australian Financial Review columns

 

 

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