Is Airbnb strangling regional towns? A new Aussie competitor weighs in

Short-term holiday rentals are not the only reason businesses in regional Australia are struggling to find staff, Heartful founder Jen Clark says, as locals fear platforms like Airbnb are pricing workers out of rental accommodation.

As the summer holiday season approaches, tourism hotspots are preparing for an influx of visitors, and elevated earnings for the businesses dependent on those tourists.

But as rental vacancies plummet nationwide, some regions say short-term holiday rentals are further depleting available housing stock, making it extremely difficult for residents to find a place to live.

Proptrack data shows rental vacancy rates of just 1.1% across regional Australia in August this year, while the share of properties affordable to those on minimum wage has plummeted from pre-pandemic levels.