Bookabach Calls on Homeowners to Make Submission to Auckland Council About Proposed Changes to Commercial Rates

NZ’s leading holiday rental platform, Bookabach, today called on its homeowners to make a submission to Auckland Council’s proposed commercial rate change for short-term rental accommodation providers.

As a platform, Bookabach has requested two main changes to the proposed new commercial rate regime in Auckland:

• Change the definition of high occupancy be raised from 135 to 180 days (37% to 50% occupancy) as this better identifies commercial intent in short-term rental accommodation.

• Drop the use of “online accommodation sector” and rather use “short term rental accommodation sector”.
Bookabach believes these changes will make the commercial rate regime clearer and better reflect the realities of different types of short-term rental accommodation in Auckland.

Bookabach Director of Government and Corporate Affairs, Eacham Curry said the like all other accommodation providers, Bookabach wants a level playing field that reflects the on-the-ground realities of the tourism sector in Auckland.

“Putting aside our opposition to the Accommodation Providers Targeted Rate (APTR), we are asking Council to make two key changes to their proposed new council rate regime for commercial activities,” Mr Curry Said.

“The mum and dad investors who own, run and manage short-term rental accommodation properties across Auckland are the ones who will be impacted the most by these changes and we are calling on them to also make a submission to the Auckland Council about the rates regime.

“Short-term rental accommodation is an important part of the tourism accommodation supply in Auckland and we want to sure there is an appropriate regulatory and taxation regime that does not limit the economic potential of the sector, Mr Curry concluded

A summary of Bookabach’s submission to Auckland Council can be found at the following link.

ENDS

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