Peter Gutwein's government must adopt a more sophisticated and flexible approach to regulating the short stay accommodation sector.
Shadow Minister for Housing Alison Standen said the report of a Parliamentary Inquiry into housing affordability found that a largely unregulated short stay sector was limiting access to housing in areas of high demand.
"The Committee's key finding was that over the past five years housing affordability and availability has deteriorated significantly.
"One of the factors contributing to that is the explosion of short stay accommodation, often at the expense of long-term rentals. We know that around six per cent of rental stock has been converted to short-stay accommodation since 2016, and that means it's harder for people to find homes.
"At the same time, the level of investment in social housing has fallen well short of what's needed to meet demand in a changing market. And that's left more than 3400 people on the waiting list."
Ms Standen said the Committee's report has made a series of recommendations* around stronger controls on short stay accommodation, and called on Roger Jaensch to give them urgent consideration to ease pressure in the housing market.
"Hobart is now the least affordable capital city in Australia when it comes to renting.
"That means many lower income Tasmanians will be forced out of the private rental sector and into social and community housing, placing more pressure on a system already under strain.
"Addressing issues arising from the short stay sector must be a key part of developing a long-term, evidence-based strategy to deal with Tasmania's worsening housing crisis.
"The Liberals' current short-term, and outdated, approach to the housing crisis is failing to serve Tasmanians in need."
Alison Standen
Shadow Minister for Housing
