NOW_7PMs_ShortRentals_23

ABC NEWS (Australia)

It's been 12 months since Byron Bay brought in a 60-day cap on holiday rentals but the early report card is mixed. While the number of short-stay rentals in Byron has fallen. There's been no improvement in the long-term vacancy- rate. And while charities say it's helped some people find homes, local businesses say it's hurt tourism and their bottom line

Transcript

00:00For the past 12 months, this tourist hotspot has been limiting holiday rentals in the hope

00:07it will make Byron Shire more affordable for locals.

00:10We fought for years, our community fought for years to get these changes.

00:16Now the numbers are starting to come in.

00:18While registered short-stay rentals have been trending up slightly statewide, Byron has

00:24seen a fall of around 15% over the past two years.

00:28Even if we got 20% of those houses back, 10%, that still makes a dent in the availability.

00:37But the figures are yet to show a boost in long-term rental stock.

00:40Housing data shows the monthly rental listings in Byron Bay and across the state drops last

00:46month compared to previous years.

00:49And rental vacancy rates are also down.

00:51Most of our owners invested in a holiday property to use it themselves.

00:55We've seen a lot of owners just sit and lock up their property.

00:59The business sector says the 60-day cap has hurt trade.

01:03Reid Campbell has had to reduce staff and cut hours at his linen hire business.

01:08He says cleaners, gardeners and tradies have all come to him looking for work.

01:13People in those industries asking if there's any extra work out with us and unfortunately

01:18there isn't.

01:18Let's stop and put in place a better solution than the 60-day cap.

01:24But housing charities say the cap is making a difference on the margins.

01:28Entire families that were locked out for long periods of time have gotten access to rental

01:36properties.

01:37Some single parents I know that were also homeless for several years have also got rental properties.

01:42The mayor says she knows Byron's experiment is being watched closely by other regions with

01:48housing shortages.

01:49Airbnb really does change the fabric of a community.

01:53The future of this town still up for debate.

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