The final report of The University of Sydney’s study into the impact of short term rental platforms in Australia’s coastal regions finds these areas are experiencing the highest concentrations of short-term listings in the nation.
The report was commissioned by the Australian Coastal Councils Association and finds there were more than 171,000 Airbnb listings in December 2023 – equivalent to 1.6% of Australia’s housing stock. This is less than half the density of listings on the Sunshine Coast (4,828 properties or 3.2%) and less than a 10th of the density of listings at Byron (3,001 properties or 17.7%).
The average density of listings on the Airbnb platform across the eleven coastal case study communities in December 2024 was 5.2%.
The study finds that short term rental properties comprise an important and increasing component of the tourism accommodation sector in Australia’s non-metropolitan coastal communities. The report points out, however, that this growth relates in part to a long-term tradition of second home ownership beyond the major cities and digitalisation of this sector.