Quality must be a key consideration when private homeowners rent out larger properties to tourists through internet letting sites, according to the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce.

Colin Campbell, the chairman of the Chamber’s tourism division, told The Royal Gazette it was important for such rental properties to be regulated to ensure they meet the high standards that tourists expect to find on the Island.

“When you get beyond six or eight persons, you have issues about what is the structure of the home and can they [the hosts] provide a good value for money,” he said.

“I think there needs to be good discussion with the homeowners and the Department of Tourism to ensure that standards are met.”

This newspaper reported last week that property owners who put their homes up for rent to tourists on popular internet letting sites such as Airbnb and VRBO could be breaking the law if six or more people stay there and the homes are not licensed as hotels.

The article prompted the Opposition to propose a review of the licensing process for tourist accommodation, as well as a three-year hotel occupancy tax exemption for new tourism properties which sleep less than ten people.

PLP leader Marc Bean said the legal term ‘hotel’ should be redefined as meaning a tourist property which sleeps ten or more people.

Mr Campbell said the Chamber’s tourism division welcomed discussion on the issue, as the popularity of letting sites continued to grow.

“The idea of doing bed-and-breakfast is not new,” he said. “What’s new is the digital media that’s connecting homeowners with vacationers. I think it’s important that Bermudians be aware of it and benefit from the opportunities but also be conscious of the contract for quality that must also be adhered to.”

Mr Campbell, who was on the team which devised the Island’s tourism master plan, said people coming to Bermuda had high expectations and it was important to ensure they were met so they would return.

“From the tourism master plan perspective, quality has to be the thing that we all strive for, whether you have a 300-bed hotel or a four-bed bed and breakfast.

“I think the Tourism Department has done a very good job in the past of maintaining standards.”

He added that it wasn’t necessary to regulate smaller-scale property lets and that private lets of all sizes should be encouraged to “put money directly into our economy”.

Mr Campbell added: “Those persons travelling using the bed-and-breakfast experience are not likely to use the more traditionally-structured hotels. We know that this is an important part of the tourism visitor experience.

“[The websites] certainly provide a wonderful portal into the lives and experiences of our visitors. It’s good for Bermuda all around.”

He said ignorance of the current law regulating tourism accommodation — the Hotel (Licensing and Control) Act 1969 — was “no defence”.

But he added: “Maybe it needs some freshening up under the new circumstances.”