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Hobart council looks at doubling rates for short-stay properties to stem rental impact


By Adam Holmes and published on abc.net.au


About two kilometres from Hobart's popular Salamanca precinct, and wedged in a gully next to the city's main southern highway, sits a regular suburban cul-de-sac.


Waterworks Road in Dynnyrne has a collection of 34 brick townhouses built in 2004 — some are owner-occupiers, others are long-term rentals, almost all have the tell-tale signs of family and student life.


Last month, the City of Hobart approved two for whole-of-house short-stay accommodation — like Airbnbs — with the owners confirming in their applications that they will be vacant.

This month, a third was proposed.


Young couple Vienna Leaf and Adam Whish-Wilson, with two-year-old Mabel, and a housemate, live right next door to two of them.


After a period of couch surfing, they finally found somewhere to rent, moving in two months ago. Mabel has a room of her own.


But the couple are worried about the proliferation of Airbnbs in suburban Hobart — what it means for them, their friends, their loved ones and their community.


"It's become more and more apparent that [Hobart] is a really beautiful place to come for a holiday — that means more Airbnbs, which means less housing, which means higher rental prices," Ms Leaf said.
"Higher rates of homelessness, too."



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