Coastal areas, including the Whitsundays, have the most short term accommodation options in Queensland.
The State Government recruited University of Queensland, as an independent body, to assess the impacts of the market on housing affordability and availability across different communities.
In the first quarter of 2023, there were roughly 19,773 active short-term rentals across Queensland. Of those 11,193 were estimated to be used on a permanent basis. Two-thirds of these dwellings are located within the South-East.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles says the review was part of a number of planning changes.
“As part of increasing housing supply, we wanted a clearer picture of whether short term rentals like AirBnB and Stayz are affecting the tight rental market,” he says.
“It is no surprise that the review revealed short-term rentals are most prevalent in high tourism coastal areas like Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Noosa, Douglas, Whitsunday, Cairns, Moreton Bay, and Townsville.
The review found that short term rentals have a limited impact on rental affordability. Rather it found dwelling stocks were a significant contributor to explaining rental price increases.
It also found that state-wide restrictions would fail to account for the diverse nature of short-term rental dynamics across Queensland.
“We have committed to looking into the implementation of a short-term rental registration system, which is a key recommendation of the review,” says the Deputy Premier.
“A registration system could serve as a tool to support local governments in monitoring short term rental activity and could provide invaluable insights into its impact on our housing market over time, to inform evidence-based regulation.”
The Queensland Government will now consult with the Short Term Residential Accommodation Industry Reference Group and LGAQ on the reviews findings and recommendations, particularly on implementing a short-term rental registration system.
