Airbnb hits back at rental claims in Noosa and Byron

Airbnb wants to clear the air on rental claims made by Noosa mayor

SHORT STAYS: Airbnb operators say Noosa and Byron councils have nothing to worry about with short-stay accommodation. Picture: Erle Levey

AIRBNB plays no significant part in the Noosa housing rental market according to the online short-stay operator.

"Holiday homes have long been part of the housing market in places, like Noosa or Byron Bay,” an Airbnb spokesman said in response to criticism by Mayor Tony Wellington of the proliferation of their stays in Byron Shire.

"The only change is these holiday homes, which were never on the long-term rental market, are now listed on Airbnb.”

He said the entire home listings booked for more than 181 nights represents just 0.4 per cent of the Noosa housing market.

"To put that in perspective, there are 42 times more empty homes than there are entire home listings booked for more than 181 nights on Airbnb,” the spokesman said.

"Rather than focusing on less than a half of one percent of the housing market, the mayor should instead focus on the real drivers of affordability like the planning system or population growth,

Airbnb provided this background information to the Noosa News:

A listing is not equal to a dwelling or home. It is not an apples for apples comparison. An entire home listing might be a granny flat or other self-contained space. It might also be a boutique hotel or traditional bed and breakfast.

Mostly homes and holiday homes are listed on Airbnb. Most people share their own home, or in tourism towns like Noosa or Byron, holiday homes. These aren't homes that would have been available on the long-term rental market.

Knowing the number of entire home listings means nothing without knowing how active they are. The typical Airbnb listing in Noosa is booked for 42 nights a year. Entire home listings on Airbnb booked for more than 181 nights equals just 0.4% of the Noosa housing market (compared to 2016 Census data).

There is no reliable way of knowing if an "entire home listing” was previously available on the long-term rental market.