Australian Airbnb and short-term rental market sees growing demand for sustainable properties
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The trend toward sustainable Airbnb and short-term rental (STR) accommodation has arrived in Australia, with eco-conscious guests increasingly requesting properties that invest in renewable energy resources and sustainable practices.
Seiko Ma, Managing Director of acclaimed short-term property management organisation Alice’s Home, said, “We have noticed increased requirements for sustainable properties. Eco-conscious guests are requesting properties that invest in renewable energy resources and sustainable practices.”
According to Ms Ma, savvy property owners and hosts are becoming niched to appeal to specific guests in the increasingly saturated STR and Airbnb market. This may involve adding LED lights, energy-efficient appliances, and considering solar panels for their properties.
More industries are incorporating sustainability elements into their business, and Airbnb/STR property owners are also looking to align their business with greater environmental goals. Property owners may consider encouraging guests to recycle bottles by providing a different collection bin and looking into rainwater harvesting systems to conserve water.
“Guests have noticed that many hotels are still operating without taking sustainability into account. Hotels are large consumers of energy and water and produce a huge amount of waste. In the US, it’s estimated that each hotel room gobbles up over US$2,000 a year in energy bills alone,” Ms Ma said.
Since 2022, Airbnb has been actively encouraging hosts to incorporate sustainability into their business with the ‘Sustainable Hosting Plan’ to support hosts in the UK, USA, and France with energy efficiency improvements, cutting carbon emissions, and making long-term savings on their bills to help with the rising cost of living.
Ms Ma expects demand for sustainable properties to increase further as the year goes on, both with travelers and people travelling for work or to study.
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Alice’s Home, part of the prominent property management organisation Bodhi Tree Group, was created specifically for short-term property management in response to the tightening rental market due to higher interest rates. The company ranked no 77 in the annual ranking list of 500 high-growth Asia-Pacific companies by Financial Times and was awarded 2022 AFR Fast Starter.