This was published 3 years ago
Cost of Airbnb and Stayz rentals surge as Aussies flock to regions
By Josh Dye
The most popular AirBnb in Australia: The TreeHouse, Grays Point, NSW.Credit:
Short-term holiday rentals are 19 per cent more expensive in NSW than a year ago, as property listings outside Sydney increase.
Data from AirDNA, which analyses Airbnb and Stayz listing information, shows the average daily rate for entire homes in NSW rose from $197 to $234 a night between September 2019 and 2020.
The percentage increase was similar across the state, with Sydney slightly higher at 20 per cent.
Stayz's top property: Algona Views, Halls Gap, Victoria.Credit:
Prices in Victoria rose 10 per cent – from $174 to $192 – while Melbourne prices increased 18 per cent.
The average daily rate includes cleaning fees but excludes service fees, which can be about 15 per cent.
AirDNA's data shows the number of rental properties advertised in regional NSW grew 7 per cent in the past year, while Sydney listings fell 1 per cent.
Occupancy rates collapsed 33 per cent in Sydney since September last year, but rose 3 per cent in regional NSW.
Separate data from InsideAirbnb.com shows total listings on Airbnb in NSW fell 7 per cent in the past year, while Victorian listings declined by 11 per cent.
Meanwhile, Airbnb and Stayz have revealed Australia's top holiday homes as travellers prepare for summer, in the hope state borders reopen.
Airbnb's Australian manager Susan Wheeldon said the list highlighted "a really heavy skew towards people wanting wide open spaces and going back to nature".
Ms Wheeldon said the pandemic has resulted in a change in consumer behaviour with "much more last-minute bookings now" as well as more long-term stays as people work remotely.
The opportunity from a "surge in regional listings" is good news for those towns, she said.
"I look at the year that's been and if you're in a community impacted in the last decade from drought, flood, fires and now COVID, what an amazing ability to bounce back and have people come to your area."
Airbnb commissioned Oxford Economics to measure the platform's economic contribution. The report claimed guests spent $8.7 billion in Australia, including $5.8 billion by domestic guests.
Ms Wheeldon said many hosts had adapted their offerings to meet demand, with fast internet, work-from-home spaces and pet-friendly homes among travellers' top priorities.
Airbnb's most sought-after properties in Australia:
- The TreeHouse, Grays Point, NSW. This spectacular glasshouse is set among the treetops overlooking the Royal National Park in Sydney's south. From $295 for two nights.
- Secluded Magical Rainforest Retreat, Main Arm, NSW. This Balinese-style tropical oasis overlooks a creek in the Byron hinterland. $485 for two nights.
- Orchard Escape, Blackheath, NSW. A stunning luxury one-bedroom retreat with an outdoor spa set in an apple orchard in the Blue Mountains. $1660 for two nights.
Stayz's top three holiday homes in Australia:
- Algona Views, Halls Gap, Victoria. This delightful two-bedroom cottage in the Grampians ranges is set in the bush with mountain views and an outdoor fire pit. $367 for two nights.
- Capel Breeze, Capel Sound, Victoria. A two-bedroom apartment on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula is across the road from the beach and only eight minutes' drive from Peninsula Hot Springs. $390 for two nights.
- Bantam Cottage, Berry, NSW. This two-bedroom pet-friendly home on the NSW South Coast has an open fire place and sun-drenched deck. $579 for two nights.
Prices listed are for two people on a weekend in April 2021 (where available) and include booking and cleaning fees.
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