New short-term rental platform launched, boasts zero listing fee, zero service fee

CEO and founder Charlie Chohilli said that this feature delivers a “significant” saving to property owners.

“Properties currently listed on Aabode.com are priced from $75 to $1,200 per night, meaning their owners are saving as much as $420 every night or over $150,000 every year,” the CEO said.

Mr Chohilli said that the platform “makes it easy” for owners to maintain maximum occupancy.

“With an aggregate calendar which combines bookings from other leading booking sites, the owner is able to list on multiple platforms with no risk of double bookings.

“We wanted to attract the very best properties to our site.”

Mr Chohilli added that the booking fee for guests is between 5 per cent and 8 per cent.

This is an important consideration in the platform’s value proposition, the CEO said.

“Whether you are a holidaymaker travelling on holiday with your family or an executive booking accommodation for a business trip, we know that price is important.”

False claim warning

The platform’s launch comes at the same time as the ATO warning that it is targeting owners making false claims about holiday rentals.

Assistant commissioner Kath Anderson said last week that the ATO is focusing on taxpayers who claim deductions for holiday homes that are not actually available for rent, or only available to friends and family.

“You can only claim deductions for your holiday home if your property is genuinely available for rent,” Ms Anderson said.

“You cannot claim for times when you were using it for your own personal holidays or letting friends and family stay rent-free.”

Ms Anderson said that it’s “not OK” to expect everyone else to pay for your holiday.

“Holiday home owners also need to remember that if their property is rented to friends and family at mate’s rates, they can only claim deductions for expenses up to the amount of the income received.”

The ATO is also focused on other times when a property is not rented or genuinely available for rent.

Ms Anderson said that some taxpayers claim their property is available for rent, but when the ATO investigates, it is clear they have little intention of renting it out.

“Incorrect rental property claims will not go unnoticed,” the assistant commissioner said.

“Whether it is a genuine mistake or a deliberate attempt to over-claim, new technology, data matching and other systems allow the ATO to identify unusual claims.”