Short-term rentals are becoming increasingly popular on the South Coast, with more homeowners choosing to lease their properties on sites like Homeaway (Stayz) and Airbnb.
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So far this year 140 new properties in the Shoalhaven local government area have been listed on Homeaway, formerly known as Stayz, taking the total number of listed homes to more than 4000.
According to Homeaway, families or groups are the most common short-term holiday renters in the Shoalhaven, with three to five bedroom homes being the most popular.
Culburra Beach, Mollymook and Vincentia are the most in-demand destinations on HomeAway, particularly during holiday periods.
HomeAway director of corporate affairs Eacham Curry said short-term holiday rentals was becoming a driving force behind the Shoalhaven’s economy.
“Short-term rental accommodation has long been the engine room of the South Coast’s tourism economy,” he said.
According to Destination NSW’s Shoalhaven Area Profile, more than 2.6 million people visited the Shoalhaven in 2016, staying an average of eight nights for international visitors and three nights for domestic visitors.
Those using short-term holiday letting websites to visit, stay on average five to seven nights, bringing an average of $518 into the Shoalhaven economy for international visitors and $405 for domestic visitors.
The highest price for a short-term rental is at Browns Mountain, with an average of $1574 per night (on Homeaway), the cheapest on the other hand is at Conjola Park for an average of $153 per night.
Just over 40,000 properties are listed on Homeaway, which means properties in the Shoalhaven make up around 10 per cent of all listed properties.
The majority of the 4000 Shoalhaven homes listed on Homeaway are rented for an average of 125 nights per year.
In city areas, short-term holiday letting has been capped at 180 nights per year, however there is no cap in regional and rural areas.
Short-term holiday letting has been under the close eye of the federal government in recent months and a number of new rules around the system have been developed.
Local councils have the ability to cap the 365 day threshold to no lower than 180 days per year at their discretion.
Madeline Crittenden
Madeline Crittenden is a journalist for Fairfax Media at the South Coast Register.
Madeline Crittenden is a journalist for Fairfax Media at the South Coast Register.
