Greens want to restrict AirBnBs in residential areas and unreasonable rents

The Greens housing spokesperson Vica Bayley said the ongoing housing crisis in Tasmania required the government to follow through on its election promises.

"After years of the Greens being the only party fighting for better rights for renters, it was welcome to see some commitments for improvements made by Liberal and Labor politicians during the election campaign," said Mr Bayley.

Mr Bayley said both major parties are still refusing to take any action to control the massive rent increases experienced by so many Tasmanians or to bring homes lost to Airbnb back into the rental market.

"In this term of parliament, the Greens will again be pushing to pass laws to stop unreasonable rent increases and to phase out whole-home AirBnBs in residential areas," Mr Bayley said.

The Greens spokesperson said a big part of dealing with the housing crisis is building more homes, which is why the Greens are campaigning for the government to quadruple their annual funding for public housing construction.

"This is how we should use public funds - not a billion-dollar [AFL] stadium.

"Of course, we also need to do more to grow medium-density housing.

"In particular, that means better planning for our housing supply and more investment in transport options to unlock in-fill housing opportunities," Mr Bayley said.

We asked Mr Bayley to comment on issues around Tasmanian renters' rights, and he said "renters have the right to live in secure, safe, and healthy homes."

"It's unacceptable for anyone to live in poor conditions, but many Tasmanians must get used to dealing with the mould or cold.

"That's not OK, which is why the Greens have long fought for stricter standards for rentals, and we will continue to do so," Mr Bayley said.

According to the Tasmanian Greens, Airbnb and other short-stay rentals negatively impact housing availability, the tourism industry, and the economy.

"Many small businesses in tourist towns are struggling to find staff because, thanks to Airbnb-style accommodation, there are no local housing options available.

"Fish and chip shops in places like Coles Bay and Bicheno have been forced to close for months due to a lack of staff.

"It's a lose-lose situation for Tasmania, and something has to be done," Mr Bayley said.

Principal Solicitor with the Tenants' Union of Tasmania, Benedict Bartl, said "Every Launceston rental property lost to the short-stay accommodation sector is reducing supply and driving up rents, particularly when the vacancy rate is as low as 1 per cent."

According to research carried out by Shelter Tasmania, inner-city Launceston would only need an extra 72 rental properties to improve the vacancy rate from 1 per cent, which has seen rents rise to unsustainable levels, to 2 per cent, where rent increases would be less than $10 per week.

"We are calling for an immediate pause on new permits issued and a cap on the number of nights entire property short-stays can be rented out.

"We need to prioritise homes for Tasmanians over hotels for visitors," Mr Bartl said.