How Airbnb became an election issue across Australia

In the midst of a national housing crisis, exacerbated by a surge in Airbnb listings, state and federal leaders are now being drawn in on the role of short-stay accommodation.

“It’s a systemic issue,” Pattie Chugg, CEO of Shelter Tasmania, told the ABC, emphasising the severity of the housing crunch affecting not only low-income earners but also those with moderate incomes.

Tasmania’s upcoming election has become a battleground for housing reform, with radical proposals emerging to address the pressing crisis.

From ‘no deposit’ home loans to subsidies for renters, political parties are scrambling to win over voters by tackling the contentious issue of Airbnb’s impact on the housing market.

Photograph: Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/Rex/Shutterstock

Couch surfing

What began as an adventurous experience of ‘couch surfing’ has devolved into a draining cycle of vulnerability and uncertainty.

Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics paints a grim picture, revealing a staggering 45% increase in homelessness in Tasmania over five years.

With rents skyrocketing, renters are feeling the squeeze, struggling to keep up with escalating costs.

Tasmania’s population boom, coupled with a surge in tourism, has only exacerbated housing shortages and rental market distortions.

Amid the crisis, the controversy surrounding Airbnb has taken center stage in Tasmania’s election campaign.

Election issue

Both major parties, along with the Greens, have unveiled ambitious plans to address the issue, ranging from stricter regulations to outright bans on new Airbnb listings.

However, concerns linger over the efficacy of proposed solutions, with experts cautioning against measures that could further inflate housing prices without addressing underlying supply constraints.

As Tasmania heads to the polls, the Airbnb controversy has become emblematic of broader housing woes, capturing the attention of policymakers nationwide.

In states like Queensland, the Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory, where elections loom on the horizon, housing issues, particularly the impact of short-stay accommodation, are expected to dominate the agenda.