Councils have power to ease rental squeeze: Gutwein

There is a simple solution to fixing Hobart’s housing crisis Premier Peter Gutwein has said, shifting responsiblity off the State Government to solve problems with short-term rentals.

IT WAS up to local councils to restrict the number of short-term rental properties if they felt that would increase the housing availability, Premier Peter Gutwein says.

This comes as restrictions on travel and a fall in the number of overseas students in Hobart have eased the city’s rental crisis during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Gutwein yesterday said it was not the State Government’s job to cap short-term rental numbers as that power was already in the hands of councils.

NO MAGIC FIX FOR HOUSING, AIRBNB SAYS

“Councils have the opportunity to, should they wish, to restrict the number of Airbnb’s in any particular municipality,” he said.

“That’s available to any council under the current planning laws.”

MORE NEWS:

• Show society waits on Premier to make next move
• News prsenter conman arrested after police raid
• PM’s Sheean call ‘absolutely disgusting’, says senator

“In terms of what’s occurring at the moment it doesn’t surprise me that we’re seeing more rentals made available over the short to medium term as opposed to Airbnb because obviously the changes that we made, the restrictions that we put have limited travel and international travel I expect will remain restricted for some time.”

PREMIER ANNOUNCES RESIDENTIAL RENT FREEZE

Mr Gutwein said the State Government was focused on increasing the supply of housing to ease pressure in the market.

“What we need to do though, and as we’ve always said, that’s one of the reasons why we’ve had one of the strongest affordable housing programs in the state’s history.

“We need to build more housing. The simplest way to put downward pressure on rental increases and housing affordability is to have more stock.”