The rise in council approvals for properties converting to short-stay accommodation in Launceston is another positive sign for the region's tourism recovery ahead of next month's border reopening, but it also raises further concerns for those trying to secure long-term housing during the tightest rental market the city has experienced in years.
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Since the City of Launceston council introduced changes that made it a requirement to receive council approval to change a whole property from a principal place of residence to a short-term premises suitable for Airbnb rentals in 2019-20, more than 100 change-of-use visitor accommodation permits have been issued.
Since mid-2021,11 applications for entire properties to be converted to short-stay accommodation have been approved by the City of Launceston council.
Meanwhile, the number of people seeking social housing throughout the state continues to reach record highs, with more than 4400 Tasmanian families on the waiting list as of the end of October.
Further compounding the issue, a University of Tasmania report released in September found vacancy rates for private rental properties in Launceston were among the lowest in the country.
According to that report, the scarcity of available rentals for housing was being compounded by landlords opting to offer their properties on short-stay accommodation platforms, rather than leasing them to longer-term tenants.
Recent research from housing advocacy collective Everybody's Home also found rising rental prices had resulted in Launceston residents who rely on single parent support payments were spending 71 per cent of their income on rent, and hospitality workers were spending 59 per cent of their pay packets on rent.
With the recent announcements of more direct flights to Launceston from several major Australian cities, tourism looks set to play an increasingly important role in the city's post-COVID recovery.
But as fortunes continue to bounce back, the city's less fortunate shouldn't be left behind.