Global Regulatory Notes (11)
Australia applies stricter scrutiny; Hobart, AU fails to raise STR motion; Central Okanagan, ON approves amendments; Erin, ON presents draft regulations; Gibsons, BC adopts allocation system; Severn Township, ON; Bali, Indonesia; Italy; Jung, South Korea; Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; Read more.
Australia
Starting 1 July 2026, the Australian Taxation Office will apply stricter scrutiny to holiday home owners who block properties from rental during peak seasons such as Christmas, Easter, and school holidays.
Under three draft instruments released in late 2025, properties withheld from the market during high-demand periods risk reclassification as leisure facilities rather than income-producing investments.
Hobart, Australia
A motion to raise whole-home short-stay rates in Hobart to 400% of the residential rate from 2027–28 failed at the May 25, 2026 council meeting after a 5–5 tied vote, with Greens councillor Bill Harvey abstaining.
Hobart City Council meeting where councillors debated the proposed short-stay rate hike with public questions from STR hosts and housing-impact concerns raised.
Harvey pointed to two recent interventions still being assessed: a short-stay application fee rise from $435 to $5,000 passed in April 2026 and a pending 5% short-stay levy from the state government. Whole-home short-stays have been charged double the residential rate since 2023.
Canada
Central Okanagan, ON
Short Term Rentals in Electoral Areas: Operator Guidebook
This April 2026 guidebook outlines the new licensing rules for Electoral Areas East and West.
Bylaw amendments approved by the RDCO Regional Board on May 14, 2026 bring a formal licensing regime to short-term rentals in Electoral Areas East and West of British Columbia's Central Okanagan. All operators must secure an RDCO business licence and meet provincial requirements before advertising or renting their properties.
Permitted rental types span primary residences, secondary suites, and tourist cabins in commercial zones with each capped at four bedrooms and eight guests with one license per property. The updated bylaws also expand enforcement authority to include fines/license revocation with the licensing application program opening on June 1.
Erin, On
At a May 14 council meeting, Erin staff presented draft STR regulations that would limit rentals to three bedrooms, require principal residence ownership, cap stays at one month, and allow only one rental per lot.
Enforcement capacity was the central concern with residents arguing the town needs dedicated staff rather than a complaint-based system supplemented by weekend police. Staff said a licensing bylaw remains possible in the future but is not currently viable given staffing constraints.
Gibsons, BC
Gibsons council discussed a renewal-based STR license system that allows compliant operators to renew indefinitely while keeping the townwide cap at 35 non-principal-residence STR licenses.
Council in Gibsons, B.C. adopted a renewal-based system for allocating short-term rental business licences and scrapped the previous annual reallocation process in favor of a more stable, long-term framework.
Current license holders are permitted to renew on an annual basis without restriction so long as they remain compliant. On the other hand, new licenses enter the pool only when existing ones are relinquished or revoked within an overall cap of 35 STR business licenses.
Severn Township, ON
Following months of community debate over noise, parties, parking, and the concentration of Airbnb-style rentals in residential areas, Severn Township council approved a licensing framework described by staff as a middle-ground approach.
The approved system imposes a 150-licence cap, a two-person-per-bedroom occupancy rule capped at 10 guests, and a mandatory 24/7 operator contact requirement. Township staff will present a complete draft bylaw that includes licensing fees on June 24.
Bali, Indonesia
From March 31, 2026, all Bali accommodation listings on online travel agencies must hold valid Indonesian business licenses to remain active on booking platforms. Properties without a Pondok Wisata (homestay license) or TDUP (tourism business license) face mandatory delisting while Airbnb and Booking.com will be required to verify and remove non-compliant listings after the deadline.
This has been confirmed by Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism in early 2026. Airbnb and Booking.com will not be banned in Bali and there will be pivot instead to a strict licensing enforcement push.
Italy
Italy's ruling coalition indicated this month that it would consider rolling back STR restrictions it characterized as excessive, with Deputy Prime Minister Salvini publicly opposing new taxes on short-term rental operators. The current regime taxes first-property STR income at 21% and second-property income at 26% with a third property triggering full business taxation.
Deputy Economy Minister Maurizio Leo signaled that broader real estate measures would depend on budget conditions and the September 2026 Eurostat review of Italy's public accounts serves as the next key checkpoint for any policy movement.
Jung, South Korea
Short-term rental platforms operating in central Seoul could face a new accommodation levy if a campaign proposal advances following Jung District's June 3 local elections.
Implementation would proceed through local ordinance, with national tax law amendments identified as an option. Korea has no such tax at present and previous legislative attempts failed in 2014.
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
A ban on short-term rentals in Ho Chi Minh City's residential apartment buildings that was enacted through Decision No. 26/2025/QD-UBND is now under review after significant industry and owner resistance. The measure prohibited daily and hourly rentals in residential-only complexes and barred listings on platforms with only mixed-use condotel developments remaining exempt.
Draft proposals from the Departments of Tourism and Science and Technology include host licensing requirements, rental tax obligations, fire safety standards, and a data-sharing coordination system between platforms and local government. A regulated framework is expected to be finalized by 2027.
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