Easing the housing crisis

Australia has taken a 'light touch' with Airbnb. Professor Nicole Gurran, from the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, investigates whether stronger regulations could ease the housing crisis. The current housing crisis has renewed debates about how to regulate short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb. The international research on the impact of these rentals is clear: when landlords "host" tourists rather than residents, housing supply is depleted, rents rise and neighbourhoods change. Given Australia's dire shortage of rental housing, restricting short-term rentals seems like a no-brainer. New research published this week showed the share of rental properties under $400 per week  has fallen to 15%  in most capital cities - half of what it was a year ago. We've long  studied these issues , watching as major cities around the world - from New York to Berlin to Barcelona - have enacted strong laws designed to protect local housing supply and neighbourhoods.