Airbnb back with renewed demand
CAIRNS’ latest short-term realtor says the time is right to get back into the Airbnb market.
Tom Railton of Cozie Homes Airbnb Management said the short-term rental market had rebounded strongly over the Christmas and summer holiday period.
“December and January were huge,” Mr Railton said.
“It was absolutely massive, – the two biggest months I have had yet.”
Cozie Homes kicked off in 2020 after Mr Railton had spent a few years offering his own properties as Airbnbs.
Unfortunately, the shortterm rental market was reeling under the body blows of border closures.
“It was a bit of a rough one, not the perfect way to start a holiday rental business,” Mr Railton said.
“But now there has been interest from people about listing their properties.”
He said that, while business from international travels was off the cards for at least a year, the domestic market was “huge”.
Mr Railton said that over the next month property owners needed to consider what their plans were.
“From March, we are going to get more people coming to the decision of whether to take on short-term rentals or renew long leases,” he said.
Although the Airbnb market was rebounding, lead-in booking times had reduced considerably.
“We are getting bookings 30 days ahead, rather than 120 days ahead,” Mr Railton said.
“We are still getting bookings for June and July.”
He said if those property owners who wanted to enter the Airbnb market remained flexible, they could still earn an amount comparable to a long-term lease.
“It depends on where you are. Properties in the city or Edge Hill are gold,” he said.
“The ones at the beaches are more seasonal, but we are now coming to what would normally be considered the high season.”
The next 12 months remain a bit of a mystery for Airbnb managers and owners.
“It is hard to tell because we just have the domestic market now,” Mr Railton said.
“We don’t know what it is going to look like just yet.”
To ensure COVID safety, Airbnb properties have rigorous cleaning standards.
“There are protocols, which are listed on Airbnb,” Mr Railton said.
“It means we need to spend more time on cleaning than we have before.”
He said owners unsure whether to list their properties could receive a free consultation with Cozie Homes.
“Every property has to be taken on its own merits,” Mr Railton said.
“For anyone who is interested, I’m happy to do it for free, with an appraisal and my recommendations.
“It is definitely not the time for rushed decisions.”
For more details, visit coziehomes.com.au