Short-Stay Imposts

One of the most dishonest and unethical things that politicians commonly do in this country is to find a way to increase taxes on specific sections of the Australian population - but present it to the public as a measure to improve life for ordinary people. We’re seeing this currently with attitudes to citizens who seek to establish a business by letting a property they own to tourists and other short-term visitors to the area. These kinds of properties typically use systems like Airbnb or Stayz and they’re popular with travellers who prefer to stay in a house or an apartment rather than a motel or a hotel room. And of course they’re perfectly legal and a reasonable thing for property owners to do to create a sustainable business. But local authorities have seized on this as another way to raise revenue.