Regional NSW Air BnB Short-term Accommodation Study 

The Challenge

The 2021 NSW Regional Housing Taskforce report highlighted significant housing availability, affordability and diversity pressures on regional communities. This had been driven by a complex mix of longer-term supply and demand dynamics and exacerbated by internal migration patterns and the vastly different characteristics of locations outside of metro areas.

The Action

This analysis focused on the impact of short-term accommodations like AirBnB on the availability and affordability of housing for locals. It involved creating detailed datasets and applying economic techniques to assess the negative impacts on the housing market.

Polis Partners applied a range of economic and financial methodologies using bespoke data sets and quantitative techniques to provide evidence-based insights. This study was used by the Department to support the analysis and presentation of policy options to the NSW Government.

The Results

This analysis has provided critical insights to support future planning and strategy development for regional NSW. By forecasting short-term housing supply to the short term accommodation sector, the study has helped identify regions likely to experience housing needs.

This analysis has enabled the Department to better understand the timing, scale, and nature of housing pressures in these areas, and to explore policy responses and delivery techniques that can facilitate rapid, flexible housing solutions.