Every day, I witness families being displaced in our beloved Gold Coast, all because of an urgent housing crisis made worse by short-stay accommodations like Airbnb and Stayz. This issue is personal to me, as I'm tired of seeing people struggle to find secure housing and people who call this city home being essentially driven out. Currently, our rental vacancy rate is at an alarmingly low 1.1%, making it more difficult than ever for local families to find stable accommodations.

Short-stay accommodation platforms have rapidly multiplied in the Gold Coast, appealing to tourists at the expense of locals. While tourism is important, we must find a balance that prioritizes the needs of our community members. The prevalence of these platforms is eating away at our limited housing supply, thereby escalating rental prices to unmanageable levels. This has forced long-term tenants to compete with short-term visitors, a mismatch that favors the latter given the potential profits for property owners.

What we propose is not an elimination of short-stay accommodations but a fairer distribution that will alleviate the housing shortage. Implementing stricter regulations on the number of properties that can be listed on such platforms and encouraging property owners to convert their listings back into long-term rentals can significantly ease the strain on our housing market. Success in cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, and New York shows that such a transition can be managed effectively, benefiting the local population without entirely sacrificing tourism revenue.

Further, offering incentives to property owners who choose to convert short-term rental properties into long-term housing solutions can encourage more landlords to participate in alleviating this crisis. Tax breaks or subsidies for long-term leases might be one viable option in persuading property owners.

This is a call to action for the City of Gold Coast Council, the Queensland Legislative Assembly, and the Australian Parliament to take immediate steps to regulate short-stay accommodations and prioritize the housing needs of the Gold Coast residents. Let’s work together to ensure that our city remains a welcoming place for both locals and tourists alike.

Please sign this petition to support converting more short-stay accommodations into long-term housing solutions and help put an end to this housing crisis. Together, we can unlock our housing to serve everyone, ensuring a prosperous future for the Gold Coast community.