5 April 2023
The Greens are urging the State Government to cap the number of nights a property can be listed on short stay rentals or offer incentives to encourage more properties into the long-term rental market, as new data reveals prices in Adelaide have increased more than 4 per cent in the first 3 months of the year. (PropTrack figures, ‘Adelaide Rents Hit Record Highs’, The Advertiser, 5 April 2023)
“Rent prices are continuing to surge out of control, yet we still aren’t seeing the leadership we need from the Malinauskas Government. More and more data reveals the scale of SA’s rental affordability crisis. What will it take for the Government to act?” asked Greens SA Housing Spokesperson, Robert Simms MLC.
“While we welcome the Government moving to target rent bidding, that’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the reforms needed to give renters a fair go.”
“It’s time for the Government to focus on short stay rentals and take steps to encourage these properties back onto the long-term rental market. This could involve capping the number of a nights a property can be listed for short term rental (eg: Airbnb) or simply offering incentives to owners to move their properties onto the market and find a long-term tenant.”
“Short term rentals are having a big impact on the housing supply across the state, particularly in some regional areas where houses are sitting vacant for six months of the year during the off-season. Meanwhile, we have desperate people sleeping on the street. Something is very wrong with this system,” Mr Simms said.
The Greens have advocated a raft of measures to target the state’s rental crisis, including a vacant land tax, rent capping and a boost to public housing.