Invest
Lying landlords under fire
Australia’s dodgy Airbnb owners’ time is up, with the Tax Office set to scrutinise short-term rental owners’ tax returns for inconsistencies and errors.
Lying landlords under fire
Australia’s dodgy Airbnb owners’ time is up, with the Tax Office set to scrutinise short-term rental owners’ tax returns for inconsistencies and errors.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will use its data-matching capabilities to identify and analyse claims from short-term rental owners’ and will cross-reference information from online sharing platforms like Airbnb to pinpoint errors, omissions and deceit. The ATO will be looking at the income received per listing, listing dates, booking rates, prices charged and quoted.
According to the ATO, about 2.1 million Australians received rental income of $42 billion in 2016, and according to assistant commissioner Kath Anderson, these taxpayers warrant extra attention due to the sheer size and significance of the rental market on the domestic economy.
Further, investors are getting it wrong.
“The availability of short stay rentals has exploded thanks to the online revolution. With the growing number of homes, apartments, units and rooms available via accommodation sharing sites, there is a real risk some people may not understand their tax obligations,” Ms Anderson said.
“We are increasingly using data and technology to identify any missing income in your tax returns. This data will also identify taxpayers who use sharing economy rental platforms to list a property that is not genuinely available for rent in order to claim unwarranted deductions. There is no high-tech hideaway for rental income.”
She said that while the ATO is usually lenient towards mistake-makers, it will penalise those who make “deliberate attempts” to evade tax on rental income.
Penalties for errors or omissions can be as high as 75 per cent of the tax shortfall.
Ms Anderson said rental property owners should ensure they declare all income, even if it is a one-off.
“There is no such thing as a rental hobby,” the ATO said.
Additionally, deductions can only be claimed for the periods in which the property is actually available for rent or is rented out. Rental owners renting out a room of their own property can similarly only claim for the actual portion of the main residence used.
Owners need to keep accurate records and remember that costs for repairs, defects and deterioration existing on purchase or renovation costs can only be claimed over the years, not immediately.
The ATO’s focus follows June reforms, which will prevent short-term letters in NSW from renting out their properties for longer than 180 nights a year.
RELATED ARTICLES
Property
Multigenerational living is moving mainstream: how agents, developers and lenders can monetise the shift
Australia’s quiet housing revolution is no longer a niche lifestyle choice; it’s a structural shift in demand that will reward property businesses prepared to redesign product, pricing and ...Read more
Property
Prestige property, precision choice: a case study in selecting the right agent when millions are at stake
In Australia’s top-tier housing market, the wrong agent choice can quietly erase six figures from a sale. Privacy protocols, discreet buyer networks and data-savvy marketing have become the new ...Read more
Property
From ‘ugly’ to alpha: Turning outdated Australian homes into high‑yield assets
In a tight listings market, outdated properties aren’t dead weight—they’re mispriced optionality. Agencies and vendors that industrialise light‑touch refurbishment, behavioural marketing and ...Read more
Property
The 2026 Investor Playbook: Rental Tailwinds, City Divergence and the Tech-Led Operations Advantage
Rental income looks set to do the heavy lifting for investors in 2026, but not every capital city will move in lockstep. Industry veteran John McGrath tips a stronger rental year and a Melbourne ...Read more
Property
Prestige property, precision choice: Data, discretion and regulation now decide million‑dollar outcomes
In Australia’s prestige housing market, the selling agent is no longer a mere intermediary but a strategic supplier whose choices can shift outcomes by seven figures. The differentiators are no longer ...Read more
Property
The new battleground in housing: how first-home buyer policy is reshaping Australia’s entry-level market
Government-backed guarantees and stamp duty concessions have pushed fresh demand into the bottom of Australia’s price ladder, lifting values and compressing selling times in entry-level segmentsRead more
Property
Property 2026: Why measured moves will beat the market
In 2026, Australian property success will be won by investors who privilege resilience over velocity. The market is fragmenting by suburb and asset type, financing conditions remain tight, and ...Read more
Property
Entry-level property is winning: How first home buyer programs are reshaping demand, pricing power and strategy
Lower-priced homes are appreciating faster as government support channels demand into the entry tier. For developers, lenders and marketers, this is not a blip—it’s a structural reweighting of demand ...Read more
Property
Multigenerational living is moving mainstream: how agents, developers and lenders can monetise the shift
Australia’s quiet housing revolution is no longer a niche lifestyle choice; it’s a structural shift in demand that will reward property businesses prepared to redesign product, pricing and ...Read more
Property
Prestige property, precision choice: a case study in selecting the right agent when millions are at stake
In Australia’s top-tier housing market, the wrong agent choice can quietly erase six figures from a sale. Privacy protocols, discreet buyer networks and data-savvy marketing have become the new ...Read more
Property
From ‘ugly’ to alpha: Turning outdated Australian homes into high‑yield assets
In a tight listings market, outdated properties aren’t dead weight—they’re mispriced optionality. Agencies and vendors that industrialise light‑touch refurbishment, behavioural marketing and ...Read more
Property
The 2026 Investor Playbook: Rental Tailwinds, City Divergence and the Tech-Led Operations Advantage
Rental income looks set to do the heavy lifting for investors in 2026, but not every capital city will move in lockstep. Industry veteran John McGrath tips a stronger rental year and a Melbourne ...Read more
Property
Prestige property, precision choice: Data, discretion and regulation now decide million‑dollar outcomes
In Australia’s prestige housing market, the selling agent is no longer a mere intermediary but a strategic supplier whose choices can shift outcomes by seven figures. The differentiators are no longer ...Read more
Property
The new battleground in housing: how first-home buyer policy is reshaping Australia’s entry-level market
Government-backed guarantees and stamp duty concessions have pushed fresh demand into the bottom of Australia’s price ladder, lifting values and compressing selling times in entry-level segmentsRead more
Property
Property 2026: Why measured moves will beat the market
In 2026, Australian property success will be won by investors who privilege resilience over velocity. The market is fragmenting by suburb and asset type, financing conditions remain tight, and ...Read more
Property
Entry-level property is winning: How first home buyer programs are reshaping demand, pricing power and strategy
Lower-priced homes are appreciating faster as government support channels demand into the entry tier. For developers, lenders and marketers, this is not a blip—it’s a structural reweighting of demand ...Read more
