Airbnb petitions Victorian government to exclude single rooms and cheap stays from new levy

In an Australian-first, the Victorian government is set bring in a 7.5% levy to short-stay accomodation like Airbnbs by 2025, which is expected to raise $70m annually in social and affordable housing.
Photograph: Ellen Smith/The Guardian

Airbnb will urge the Victorian government to exclude private room bookings and other “budget accommodation” from its recently-announced 7.5% levy on short-stays, and has cautioned other states from immediately following suit.

At a media event on Wednesday morning, the company’s head of public policy in Australia and New Zealand, Michael Crosby, said he was “disappointed” the levy was limited to short-stay platforms, having previously pushed for a 3-5% tax on all accommodation providers.