In Hawaiʻi, the future of short-term rentals has become a matter for each county to decide. But the impact of those rentals on the overall housing market is becoming a growing issue for many vacation destinations, including in the Asia Pacific.
On the east side of Australia, there's a stretch of coastline a bit north of Brisbane in the state of Queensland known as the "Sunshine Coast."
Recent figures show that short-term rentals there outnumber longer-term leases by more than 13 to 1.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports that it is sparking a backlash against short-term rentals — with locals sporting bumper stickers saying “Neighbors, not strangers,” and “Homes, not hotels.”
Vacancy rates for longer-term leases are low across Australia.
Similar to Hawaiʻi's counties, Australia's state and local governments are taking different approaches to regulating short-term rentals — and many are still struggling with their policy mix.
West Australia is offering $10,000 awards to property owners who convert from short-term rentals to long-term leases.
Victoria is putting a tax on short-term rentals to help fund affordable housing projects.
Parts of New South Wales are capping the number of days a property can be rented to a total of 60 days a year.
The head of Airbnb Australia says restricting short-term rentals will not address the country's long-term challenges when it comes to housing affordability.
