Arabic version: اقتراح رسم على إيجارات العطلات في نيو ساوث ويلز لتمويل خدمات المشردين
According to ABC News, Homelessness NSW is calling for a 7.5 per cent levy on short-term holiday rentals in New South Wales, saying the measure could fund homelessness support services and encourage properties back into the long-term rental market. The group estimates the levy could raise about $50 million for housing support.
The proposal is based on a Victorian model introduced last year, where a 7.5 per cent tax was placed on revenue collected by short-stay providers using platforms including Airbnb and Stayz. Victorian authorities said that revenue would be directed to social and affordable housing. Homelessness NSW chief executive Dom Rowe said the policy could both raise funds for people in need and make rental accommodation easier to find.
The debate comes as Louise Dwyer and Mike Crouch, residents of a temporary Mullumbimby housing village established after the 2022 floods, prepare for its closure by the end of the year. Their lease ends in December and they have booked caravan parks and hotel rooms for the holiday period. Ms Dwyer said a two-bedroom house could now cost between $800 and $1,000 a week, which the family could not afford.
Homelessness NSW compared March-quarter listings and reported 49,985 short-stay properties statewide against 22,347 long-term rentals. It cited 4,676 Airbnb listings and 584 long-term rentals on the Mid North Coast, and 5,303 short-stay listings against 393 ongoing rentals in the Northern Rivers. Short Term Rental Association board member Catherine Shields disputed the comparison, saying properties can be listed on multiple platforms and that holiday homes are available differently from permanent rentals.
NSW has 30,599 registered short-term rental accommodation properties, including 2,987 in the Northern Rivers, 3,440 on the Mid North Coast and 9,972 in Sydney. NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully said increasing the overall housing pipeline was the best way to grow long-term rental supply, pointing to more than 80,000 homes underway across the state.
