Historical buildings, museums, natural parks, and breathtaking views. Ask the almighty Google what to see in Perth and it will return hundreds of similar results. No matter what kind of tourist you are, this pearl of Western Australia is ready to welcome you with open arms and leave a lasting impression!
With so many visitors pouring in from different countries every year, it is only natural that the city’s inhabitants would try to turn a profit. Tourists need food, transportation, and entertainment. They also need shelter, which most homeowners are eager to provide, for a price, of course!
As the city sees a steady increase in the value of its tourism, could Perth have already become an AirBnB paradise?
A Flourishing Market With Unclear Regulation
Rental listings have been around ever since the internet was born. Portals such as the infamous Craigslist and – more recently – AirBnB allow owners to put their houses in front of thousands of potential customers. This is also a great resource for those who travel on a strict budget.
On the other hand, the traditional hotel industry seems to be driving a wedge between the residents of Perth and the San Francisco-based website. Claiming irregularities and unfair competition, registered hotels recently appealed to the McGowan government, asking to put a stop to these practices.
The PM answered that the rules were already being reviewed, but prices for a single room in the city still plummeted to an average of 165$/night. It seems like tourists already made their choice!
The Duo That Took It All
Some of the people of Perth wouldn’t simply stop at renting out a guestroom or two, either. A lot have gone as far as buying new homes or buildings as investments.“In the last few years, hundreds of new properties were built solely to be used as short-term rentals”, Chris of Red Ink Homes stated on his company’s site. At the time of writing, AirBnB offers roughly 4700 solutions in the city alone.
Among the many who tried their hand at this game, father and son Alan and James Moody might have just found the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. When the family bought a six-bed mansion in Ascot, little did they know that the house would make them just a tad more than 90.000$ per year!
“Whoever wants to use our property has to accept all of our terms”, James said in an interview. According to the duo, working through AirBnB makes renting out a home easier and offers both parts much more safety than the traditional channels would.
Perth moving into AirBnB’s home rental space is also beneficial for many local business. As Richtek, an electrical and air solutions company, once mentioned in their blog, most of their 24/7 domestic contractors are called for the AirBnb homes, where fast and efficient solutions are required for a much-wanted (positive!) guest’s review.
In Conclusion
Business-savvy homeowners, great attractions, and modern internet services greatly boosted the number of tourists who visit Perth every year. The way visitors interact with the locals also changed, as the former can now live much closer to the latter.
Whether you are a homeowner trying to make a little extra every month or an explorer looking for a new adventure, rifling through what AirBnb has to offer should definitely be among your top priorities! Beware of the laws, though. It won’t be long before the government does something to regulate this extremely profitable market.