Australia's best short-stay markets right now
Nightly rates and occupancy decide whether a short-stay property beats a long-term lease — and the gap is widening in some markets while it quietly closes in others.
The desk ranks markets the way the numbers do: what they earn, how full the calendar stays, and how friendly the rules are. Against a national baseline of roughly 62% occupancy and a $318 average nightly rate, the standouts are where revenue still outruns the surge in new supply.
At the top sit Margaret River–Busselton, the Whitsundays and the Perth coast — deep guest demand, strong pricing power, and, in Western Australia and South Australia, some of the lightest regulation in the country. The full ten-market ranking, with each market's twelve-month numbers and the desk's read, runs on the Airbnb section page.
Key points
- Margaret River–Busselton — national occupancy leader, light rules
- Whitsundays — Australia's revenue king on reef-tourism pricing power
- Perth coast — among the highest short-stay occupancy tracked anywhere
Illustrative sample — general information and market commentary only, not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any asset.