Short-term rentals under the microscope: finding the smartest way to regulate

Short-term rentals under the microscope: finding the smartest way to regulate

Short-term rental accommodation listings on platforms like Airbnb continue to rise across Australia, reaching 174,558 at the end of 2024, and there’s clear evidence the sector drives up rents and house prices. Despite this, Australia has been slow to respond compared to Europe and North America.

The result is all recent regulation has been at the state level, and these interventions have not always achieved their intended outcome – so what does effective regulation look like?

This webinar unpacks new AHURI research, Short-term rental accommodation: models, impacts and policy responses.

The discussion will explore the effectiveness of domestic and international intervention, address assumptions about the market and hosts’ motives, and examine the characteristics that the most effective regulation shares.

Lead author, Professor Nicole Gurran, University of Sydney, will discuss the key findings of the research with Kelly Grigson, Chief Executive of Municipal Association of Victoria, facilitated by Dr Michael Fotheringham, AHURI.

Who should attend: Anyone shaping or implementing policy relating to the short-term rental sector, or interested in the sector’s impact on rental and housing affordability.

Speakers