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Airbnb vague about its plans on long-term leasing

Airbnb has no immediate plans to offer long-term rentals just yet after a Bloomberg report said it was conducting due diligence on the matter in hopes of providing the service to the market soon.

In a statement to Elite Agent on Friday, an Airbnb spokesperson said: “Examining different parts of the market is standard operating procedure, and we don’t have any announcements to make.”

“Airbnb is growing in Australia and New Zealand, as well as right around the world, for the simple reason that our hosts provide guests with a more authentic way to experience places. Overwhelmingly, Airbnb hosts are everyday mums and dads, seniors and young people who occasionally list their primary residence or spare room to make a modest extra bit of income. The average income for Australian hosts is just $4,500 a year, and while this may not sound like a lot, we know the impact can often be life changing. Our hosts tell us this modest extra income helps pay off the mortgage, cover bills and household expenses. Others list their home to pay for their holiday away with the family once or twice a year. We’re proud of the economic benefits Airbnb provides to families, communities and local businesses that otherwise wouldn’t benefit from the tourist dollar.

Meanwhile, Real Estate Institute of New South Wales president John Cunningham told Elite Agent Airbnb would require a lot of human resources if it wanted to offer longer term leases on its accommodation website.

“Airbnb is the biggest accommodation website in the world but they don’t own any real estate.

“Right now the owner is doing all the work, Airbnb has nothing to do with the tenants.

“But for us (property managers) we have to do 100 point checks and make sure the tenants pay their rent,” he said explaining some of the work that Airbnb may have to take on once they decide on offering long term leases.

Meanwhile, here are some facts about Airbnb in Australia and New Zealand:

Airbnb in Australia

  • Number of listings: over 100,000 – the overwhelming majoring of these listings are families sharing their primary residence or spare room in their home a couple of times a year.
  • Average amount earned: $4,500
  • Average number of nights hosted a year: 28 nights
  • Average host age is 44-years-old
  • Sydney is one of Airbnb’s Top 5 cities globally
  • Top 5 origins of Airbnb guests to Australia: Singapore, London, Hong Kong, Auckland, Paris
  • Top 5 destinations Australians travel to: Paris, London, New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles

Airbnb in New Zealand

  • There are now over 19,000 Airbnb listings in New Zealand
  • Kiwi hosts earn an average of just $3,700 a year through Airbnb by hosting for an average of 27 nights
  • Average length of stay per guest: 2.7 nights
  • The average host age in NZ is 47-years-old
  • Almost half (49 percent) of Airbnb hosts in NZ are over 50-years-old
  • Top five international markets Airbnb travellers to New Zealand originate from: Sydney, Melbourne, London, Singapore and Brisbane
  • Top five destinations New Zealanders are travelling to on Airbnb: London, Melbourne, New York, Paris and Sydney   

 

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June Ramli

June Ramli was a in-house journalist for Elite Agent Magazine.