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Displaying the 30 latest comments.
Submitted | first-name | support | concern | top-concern | message |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2026-11-01 07:23:36 +02:00 | Bianke | Yes I do | Threat to Supplemental Household Income & Rising Cost of Living | ||
2026-10-29 22:15:29 +02:00 | Sarah | Not fully | Other | I support the idea to charge commercial rates based on calendar availability, for when the whole unit is available OR the owner does not live at the property but rooms are rented out. Like any business, they pay the rates used, at business rate, regardless of occupation sold (like any hospitality business). I do not agree to charge commercial rates based on calendar availability for rooms rentals, when the owner lives at the property. These rooms do not impact long term rental options in the same way that short term whole unit rental does, and this would allow those who rent rooms anyway, to maintain current cost status. This also disincentives foreign owners from simply buying and renting out properties they've never live in or possibly even visit. Fines and further escalation make sense but should be appropriate to the infraction, like any crime. | |
2026-10-27 11:01:10 +02:00 | Eberhardt | No I do not | Threat to Supplemental Household Income & Rising Cost of Living | ||
2026-10-25 12:04:51 +02:00 | Nomkhosi | No I do not | Data Privacy Risks, POPIA Compliance & Mandatory Platform Sharing | ||
2026-10-23 13:38:53 +02:00 | Eugene | Yes I do | No concern, I Support the By-Law | Foreign ownership has driven house prices above what locals can afford. Short term rentals are a major reason for this. | |
2026-10-23 06:01:02 +02:00 | Kevin | No I do not | All of the above | Administrative Complexity, Backdated Rates & De-Registration Red Tape | |
2026-10-22 08:45:26 +02:00 | Nadiah | No I do not | Threat to Supplemental Household Income & Rising Cost of Living | ||
2026-10-20 14:20:10 +02:00 | Greg | No I do not | All of the above | Revenue Generation vs. Solving the Inner-City Housing Squeeze | Government should stay out of business and allow a free market to thrive, and to add insult to injury you consider fines and decriminalization to enforce compliance. That's why I will not vote for the DA in the next election.....power goes straight to their heads. |
2026-10-20 08:52:58 +02:00 | Mighael Hans | Yes I do | Listed Availability vs. Actual Booked Occupancy (Flawed Tariff Test) | ||
2026-10-18 18:25:50 +02:00 | Mirriam | Yes I do | Revenue Generation vs. Solving the Inner-City Housing Squeeze | ||
2026-10-17 20:15:48 +02:00 | Tshepo | No I do not | All of the above | Listed Availability vs. Actual Booked Occupancy (Flawed Tariff Test) | Jordan Hill Doos and the DA are making a severe power grab in the Western Cape. Their obsession with control and security really just boils down to increased taxation, surveillance and... control. No thank you. Tip for the uppity DA - a good government stays out of people's affairs as much as possible - less drama for everyone. |
2026-10-16 13:31:55 +02:00 | ullrich | No I do not | All of the above | Threat to Tourism Competitiveness, SMMEs & Informal Jobs | |
2026-10-16 13:13:19 +02:00 | Patricia | No I do not | All of the above | Threat to Tourism Competitiveness, SMMEs & Informal Jobs | It is about time that overreach by the not so nice DA is curtailed. Butt out of small business interference and trying to make a buck at every turn. |
2026-10-15 10:18:39 +02:00 | Edward | Not fully | Listed Availability vs. Actual Booked Occupancy (Flawed Tariff Test) | The 50% should be calculated on the actual booked accupancy | |
2026-10-14 10:00:26 +02:00 | Tracy-Lee | No I do not | All of the above | Threat to Tourism Competitiveness, SMMEs & Informal Jobs | |
2026-10-14 09:43:56 +02:00 | Pamela | No I do not | Threat to Supplemental Household Income & Rising Cost of Living | South African families deserve to be able to support the need for affordable Holiday Accommodation in a City that has attracted the overseas market … The currency used by holidaying visitors from abroad has made it impossible for a South African family to holiday in hotels … in Cape Town and around the country. Our Family friendly operations having been bought over by American giants.. eg. Marriot …Do not attack the private sector please…! | |
2026-10-13 15:00:46 +02:00 | Chris | No I do not | All of the above | Threat to Tourism Competitiveness, SMMEs & Informal Jobs | |
2026-10-12 11:08:23 +02:00 | Lee | No I do not | All of the above | Threat to Supplemental Household Income & Rising Cost of Living | |
2026-10-12 09:03:36 +02:00 | Anri | Yes I do | Revenue Generation vs. Solving the Inner-City Housing Squeeze | I agree that people cannot use normal flats and rent it out as Airbnb. They must be limited to a garden cottage if they want to use Airbnb as platform. | |
2026-10-11 08:21:42 +02:00 | Ingrid | No I do not | All of the above | Threat to Supplemental Household Income & Rising Cost of Living | |
2026-10-10 20:18:27 +02:00 | Anri | Yes I do | No concern, I Support the By-Law | ||
2026-10-10 09:00:39 +02:00 | Concerned | No I do not | All of the above | Threat to Supplemental Household Income & Rising Cost of Living | |
2026-10-10 04:53:41 +02:00 | Donavan | No I do not | All of the above | Fair Competition: Aligning Dedicated Commercial Lets with Hotels | |
2026-10-09 07:51:56 +02:00 | Mark | No I do not | All of the above | Threat to Tourism Competitiveness, SMMEs & Informal Jobs | This is bullshit. You are revenue extracting from white households again. Try this in a township with their backyard rooms who are not ubder planning permission and you will be told where to go but you keep taxing whites and extractibg revenue. How about you derrgulate. Stop passing more useless laws. We are tired of your Bullshit DA. |
2026-10-08 23:15:45 +02:00 | Keith | No I do not | Consumer Impact: Higher Nightly Accommodation Rates & Reduced Choice | ||
2026-10-08 10:29:53 +02:00 | Ismail | No I do not | Threat to Supplemental Household Income & Rising Cost of Living | ||
2026-10-08 07:52:26 +02:00 | james curlewis | No I do not | All of the above | Threat to Supplemental Household Income & Rising Cost of Living | How hard are the politicians taxed,you seem to be the real hyenas |
2026-10-07 21:42:01 +02:00 | Adrian | No I do not | All of the above | Threat to Tourism Competitiveness, SMMEs & Informal Jobs | I strongly oppose this proposed Bill. Flawed “Availability” Test: Taxing hosts based on open calendar days rather than actual income penalises owners whose properties sit empty off-peak. An empty flat listed online earns zero revenue yet gets hit with a commercial tax penalty. Punishing Household Survival: Middle-class families, retirees, and single-property owners rely on seasonal holiday letting to cover skyrocketing bond rates, electricity tariffs, and living costs. Inflated Prices for Guests & Tourists: Reclassifying rentals onto commercial rates increases operational costs by up to 135%. Hosts will pass these costs onto guests, making Cape Town less affordable for domestic South African families. Draconian Sanctions & POPIA Risks: Threatening property owners and tech platforms with 6 months in prison over administrative registration numbers is excessive. Automated data-sharing between global platforms and municipal databases raises personal privacy concerns under POPIA. “Slapping commercial property rates on holiday lets will simply result in higher prices at checkout. Domestic South African families looking for affordable beach holidays will be priced out, while small local businesses, restaurants, and transport operators will suffer if tourist spending decreases.” |
2026-10-07 11:56:50 +02:00 | Gerdia | Yes I do | No concern, I Support the By-Law | ||
2026-10-07 09:16:26 +02:00 | Jaime | No I do not | All of the above | Threat to Supplemental Household Income & Rising Cost of Living | I do not support the draft Short-Term Letting By-law. It treats a listing as commercial activity even when the property is empty. Clause 4.5 of the Rates Policy and section 8 reclassify a property as Business and Commercial if it is listed as available for more than 50% of annual room-nights over a rolling 365 days. Availability is not occupancy or income. A flat open for the year but booked for a few peak weeks would still face commercial rates, often roughly double the residential tariff, including backdated bills. That misses the stated aim. Primary residences, spare rooms and granny flats used to cover bonds and pensions are not hotels. The by-law does not cap nights or return stock to long-term tenants; it mainly raises rates while hosts pass the cost to guests. Section 11’s fine or up to six months’ imprisonment for a missing registration number is disproportionate for an administrative omission, and mandatory platform sharing of addresses, municipal accounts and live calendars needs clear POPIA limits. If the City wants rate parity, tax actual commercial use, exempt genuine home-sharing, and use civil remedies, not criminal ones. Thank you |
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- Level Playing Field:
Traditional hotels, B&Bs, and registered guesthouses pay commercial rates and utility tariffs. Dedicated full-time Airbnbs operating as commercial businesses should contribute equal municipal rates. - Infrastructure Contribution:
High-density tourist rentals place heavier loads on municipal roads, water, waste, and security infrastructure in tourist hubs. Commercial rates ensure fair municipal cost recovery. - Consumer Protection:
A verified municipal registry helps eliminate online rental scams and fake listings, giving holidaymakers confidence in legitimate accommodation.
- Level Playing Field:
“Mandatory municipal registration protects tourists from fake listings and accommodation scams. Displaying an official City registration number guarantees the property is legitimate and traceable.”
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- Flawed “Availability” Test:
Taxing hosts based on open calendar days rather than actual income penalises owners whose properties sit empty off-peak. An empty flat listed online earns zero revenue yet gets hit with a commercial tax penalty. - Punishing Household Survival:
Middle-class families, retirees, and single-property owners rely on seasonal holiday letting to cover skyrocketing bond rates, electricity tariffs, and living costs. - Inflated Prices for Guests & Tourists:
Reclassifying rentals onto commercial rates increases operational costs by up to 135%. Hosts will pass these costs onto guests, making Cape Town less affordable for domestic South African families. - Draconian Sanctions & POPIA Risks:
Threatening property owners and tech platforms with 6 months in prison over administrative registration numbers is excessive. Automated data-sharing between global platforms and municipal databases raises personal privacy concerns under POPIA.
- Flawed “Availability” Test:
“Slapping commercial property rates on holiday lets will simply result in higher prices at checkout. Domestic South African families looking for affordable beach holidays will be priced out, while small local businesses, restaurants, and transport operators will suffer if tourist spending decreases.”