She believes it was the way her parents looked after others that made her comfortable with the concept of the share economy.

The West Launceston resident’s mother ran a cafe and would often invite people who had travelled long distances into town for appointments to dinner and to stay overnight, after meeting them at work.

“It was just hospitality … in Tamworth if you had come all that way it was a long distance, bigger than what Tasmanian distances were, and mum would often house people for the night,” Ms Poland said.

“We always had visitors at home.”

But still, opening up your home to strangers could lead to the notorious stories which travel around the internet where people share their “AirBnB Hell”.

Ms Poland said she had only one bad experience since she launched her short-stay accommodation a year ago.

“You can have a setting and only get guests with a good review but the problem is that you won’t get someone who has never booked with AirBnB before so I do take that risk,” she said.

“I had one guest where there was too much noise and I actually rang AirBnB, got patched though to San Francisco, they rang the guest and it was sorted.

“I had come down and said I wasn’t happy with the behavior but you’ve got to know how to get the help and AirBnB are happy to help and were brilliant.”

Her room is described as a “sunny garden studio with a view” and has a recently renovated ensuite, fully-equipped kitchenette and – the best part – home cooked treats.

There is an external door which can be accessed by guests via a locked key-box and the studio can be locked to separate est of the upstairs three-bedroom home.

“It was very simple to just upload a photo, I don’t have a website, I use their website and it’s quite professional,” Ms Poland said.

“I don’t have to do brochures, I don’t have to do any advertising, it’s international because of the internet and I have guests that I would never have known who could come.”

Ms Poland, who has 94 five-star reviews, likes to meet every guest and is often on site.

She said she even had some long-term bookings with one guest staying for six-weeks. 

Recent state government changes are making it easier for Tasmanians to take part in services like AirBnB and Stayz.

Airbnb Country Manager Sam McDonagh said the new rules were commonsense for home sharing and will benefit everyone in the local community. 

“Together, South Australia and Tasmania are leading the nation with fair, balanced rules for home sharing.

“Our Airbnb host community - everyday mums and dads, seniors, young families - will finally get the certainty and clarity they need to share their home with confidence.”

More than 350 Airbnbs are on offer around Launceston, costing between $23 and $1030 per night.

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