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Voices from Affected Community Members on the Issue of Short-Term Rental Rules
Gold Coast residents describe how unchecked Airbnb listings have altered daily life in their streets ahead of planned council reviews.
How we reported this
Residents along Cavill Avenue in Surfers Paradise report that short-term rental properties now occupy more than half the apartment blocks on their block, pushing long-term lease prices beyond what local workers can afford.
The Gold Coast City Council is preparing to tighten rules on short-term rentals as tourism rebounds and preparations advance for the 2032 Olympics venues at Coomera and Robina. Community members say the timing matters because new coastal development approvals have already added hundreds of investor-owned units that convert quickly to holiday lets.
Daily impacts on Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach households
One family that has lived near the Broadbeach light rail stop for eight years described how their building shifted from mostly permanent tenants to weekend visitors, leaving hallways noisy after midnight and garbage bins overflowing on Mondays. A retiree two streets back from the beachfront said her rates notice rose 18 percent last financial year, which she links to the council counting short-term properties differently for infrastructure levies.
Another resident who works at Robina Hospital explained that she now commutes from Beenleigh because no two-bedroom unit near the hospital remains under $550 a week. She noted that several colleagues have left the Gold Coast Health payroll in the past 18 months for the same reason.
Council data released in May showed 4,872 active short-term rental listings across the city, up from 3,210 in 2023. Average weekly rents in the coastal strip reached $785 in the March quarter, according to the latest Domain report, compared with $620 two years earlier.
Next steps for residents and owners
The council will hold a public consultation session at the Southport Community Centre on 22 July, where attendees can submit written comments on proposed caps and registration fees. Property managers have been advised to check the new draft code on the council website before the August ordinary meeting, when a vote is scheduled.