Airbnb has written to the South African government, urging authorities to accelerate the implementation of a national host registration system.
Airbnb’s letter recommends a national host registration system to boost transparency on hosting activity and help ensure that Cape Town and other cities are equipped to introduce additional targeted rules based on clear evidence if needed.
The call follows new research by Airbnb examining the impact of short-term rentals on Cape Town’s economy and housing market. The research raised concerns about the benefit of short-term rentals, the need for regulations, and the importance of balancing tourism with community benefits.
However, Airbnb says there is “little to no” correlation between Airbnb listings and rising rent prices in the city. The report notes that dedicated Airbnb listings, defined as properties rented out more frequently than typical listings, accounted for less than 0,9% of all formal housing units in Cape Town, which is less than 1,5% of the number of additional housing units needed to meet growing housing demand over the next four years, the report says.
“The analysis on the impacts of hosting also shows that stays on Airbnb contributed an estimated R14,4 billion to GDP and supported 42 000 jobs in Cape Town in 2023 alone. Survey data from hosts also shows that for around half of them, hosting is an economic lifeline that actually helps them afford their homes,” the report says.
“As short-term rentals play an increasing role in South Africa’s tourism economy, we are calling on the government to accelerate the introduction of a national registration system that gives authorities better visibility of hosting activity in their area,” says Velma Corcoran, Regional Lead for Middle East and Africa.
“Data from a register of hosts can then inform targeted and proportionate steps to regulate activity where there is a clear need.”
Short-term rental bans
Short-term rentals are being banned or limited across Europe, with cities such as Barcelona, Prague and Greece implementing new measures.
In a statement to Travel News, an Airbnb spokesperson argued that Europe’s tourism challenges stemmed from decades of mass tourism driven by hotels, not short-term rentals. “Airbnb makes up a small proportion of visitors to Europe but spreads guests and the benefits of tourism to more communities, helping local families afford their homes,” the spokesperson said.
Official data from INE, Spain’s National Statistics Institute, shows that the number of short-term rentals in Barcelona fell by 35% between 2020 and 2024. “Meanwhile, rents increased in the city by almost 20% between Q3 2020 and Q3 2023. In August 2020, the amount of vacation rentals in Barcelona (province) represented just 1% of the total housing supply in the region. In February 2024, the percentage of vacation rentals to total homes dropped further to 0,65%,” the Airbnb representative said.
Airbnb had been working with the city of Barcelona for years to enforce its rules on short-term rentals, removing over 7 000 listings from its platform in cooperation with local authorities, said the spokesperson.
