Airbnb says only 1% to 2% of homes in Australia are short-term rentals. What does that really mean for renters?

In NSW, the share of entire dwellings listed for short-term rental was 1.8% in June 2022, according to an Airbnb report. This equals almost 6% of rented dwellings in NSW in the 2021 census. Photograph: Westend61/Getty Images

Airbnb has been under fire globally and in Australia from housing advocates who have accused the short-term letting platform of forcing up rents and limiting availability for people seeking long-term lets.

In its defence the platform has released a report finding non-hosted short-term rental accommodation (STRA) has “no consistent impact” on housing affordability, only accounting for 1% to 2% of dwellings in each state in June 2022 – a bit more than 100,000 properties in total. (A rental is “non-hosted” when the host is not present during the stay, often meaning the entire property is listed.)