Mayor welcomes transfer of short-stay properties to permanent rental market

Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart has welcomed the transfer of more than 60 Noosa short-stay properties to the permanent rental market since late February.

Mayor Clare Stewart wrote to hundreds of holiday home and short-stay property owners asking them to consider leasing their homes to long-term tenants.

“Of the 488 properties on the permanent rental market in Noosa between February 23 and May 9, 64 were previously short-stay properties,” Cr Stewart said.

The Mayor wrote to hundreds of holiday home and short-stay property owners in early February asking them to consider leasing their homes to long-term tenants to help tackle the housing crisis.

“This is a good result when you consider that Council could not otherwise deliver 64 houses to the market on our own, and certainly not in a matter of months,” Cr Stewart said.

At least 30 of the 64 property owners received a letter.

Cr Stewart thanked the property owners for responding to Council’s call.

“Their decision to offer their properties to permanent tenants has provided more than 60 homes for residents who might otherwise not have had somewhere to live due to the housing shortage,” she said.

“While there is still a long way to go toward solving the housing crisis, particularly the affordability of local housing, every vacant and short-stay property made available for long-term tenants means one less family struggling to secure a home.

“While affordable housing is predominantly a state and federal government responsibility, finding solutions right now needs a collaborative effort and homeowners and investors can certainly help.”

In the letter, the Mayor outlined the financial and community benefits available to homeowners when they make their properties available for rent by a permanent tenant, including cheaper rates, insurance and a consistent income.

Environment and Sustainable Development Director Kim Rawlings said, as of October last year, around 5,200 properties in Noosa were used for short-term visitor accommodation. 

“Census figures indicate about 18 per cent of all housing in Noosa was vacant on census night,” she said. 

“As a council we will continue to do what we can. Our recently adopted Housing Strategy proposes a range of initiatives and solutions to assist all stakeholders and the state and federal governments to improve housing choice and affordability,” Ms Rawlings said.

“We thank those who have made their properties available for permanent rental and we continue to urge owners of short-stay let properties to consider helping ease the problem by making their properties available for rent by a permanent tenant,” Mayor Stewart added.