'Careful application of more restrictions or at least licensing so councils know who is doing what with which properties is a useful tool but it’s one aspect of quite a complex problem that has many local factors at play,' he said. Mr Williams said that while cracking down on Airbnbs is one way to help with the crisis, the service is also a necessity for many. Is the short-term rental market the real problem? The Byron Shire Council declared a housing emergency in March 2021 and announced a 90-day cap on short-term rentals, but that measure was overturned by the state government in December last year. The Byron Shire Council tried to put a 90-day cap on short-term rentals last year. In Australia, several cities have already targeted the short-term leasing market in a bid to help with the worsening rental crisis, however instead of a licensing agreement, capping the number of days landlords can lease out their properties and enforcing higher council rates are the popular strategies.Ī 180-day cap is in place in Greater Sydney and Newcastle, in Brisbane landlords who rent out their entire property for more than 60 days per year will pay 50% more in council rates, while in Hobart a new law was passed last year to put a halt on new permits for homes being purpose built for short-term stays. 'Some locals who run one or more Airbnb flats in the centre obviously oppose the extra costs and restrictions because it affects their profits, on the Western Isles the issue is more about the need for more local housing and second home buyers locking up available housing.' Could similar measures ease the rental crisis in Australia? 'In Edinburgh, there are some looking for rental accommodation that welcome any moves to free up more stock, to both have more available and to keep rising rents down,' Mr Williams said.

In tonight's episode of SBS TV show Dateline, presenter Evan Williams travels to Scotland to find out how the new laws are being received and said the sentiments of locals are mixed.

The Scottish government has put some of the toughest laws in place on the short-term rental market.

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