Western Australia Short-Term Rentals Outnumber Long-Term Listings Three to One

Western Australia recorded more than 10,400 unhosted short-term rental listings against roughly 3,700 private long-term rental listings during the same period. This produces a statewide ratio of approximately three short-term properties for each long-term rental. In regional areas the ratio widens to 15 short-term listings for every long-term rental.

If one-third of the unhosted short-term listings were converted to long-term rentals, the available long-term supply would double. Many of the short-term properties are one- and two-bedroom dwellings, the same size range where long-term supply is most limited.

These listings also appear in suburban areas such as Wanneroo and Armadale that are not traditional tourist destinations. Hospitals, schools, aged-care facilities and cafes in regional and high-tourism zones report difficulty recruiting staff because long-term housing is scarce.

Some workers commute long distances, share temporary accommodation or leave the area entirely, taking skills with them.

The state government included housing and homelessness funding in its most recent budget and introduced rental reforms that ban no-grounds evictions. It also enacted short-term rental registration requirements and development approval rules, along with incentives that returned more than 800 properties to the long-term market.

Local governments retain authority to set additional rules for short-term rentals within their boundaries. Officials have discussed further statewide measures, including a possible moratorium on new listings in low-vacancy areas and a levy on unhosted short-term properties.