As the STRIVE to Thrive conference gathers short stay providers in our city this week, we are gathering signatures. Why? Because while they talk about scaling profits and building assets, our communities are being hollowed out and our neighbours are being pushed onto the streets.

There are currently over 24,000 Airbnbs listed in Melbourne. Nearly three quarters of these are entire homes or apartments. That is more than 17,000 homes removed from the residential market. These are homes that should be available for families, workers, and students. Instead they sit empty for much of the year while Victorians struggle to find somewhere affordable to live.

At the last Census 30,660 Victorians were without a home. Another 65,000 are waiting for public housing. Rents have increased 32% since March 2020. The vacancy rate in Melbourne's north is just 1.4 percent. These numbers are not abstract. They represent real people locked out of the rental market while properties are converted into commercial assets.

Other cities have faced this crisis and acted. So can we.

• In June 2024, Barcelona announced plans to ban all short-term rentals by November 2028, aiming to return 10,000 apartments to the long-term rental market.
• Florence, Italy has banned new short-term rental licenses in its historic centre to help combat the ongoing housing crisis.
• Berlin requires permits for short-term rentals. Unauthorised listings can be fined up to €500,000, part of efforts to protect housing for locals.
• Las Vegas bans non-owner-occupied short-term rentals. Hosts must obtain a business license, carry liability insurance, and follow strict occupancy limits.
• A 2025 study comparing 16 European cities confirmed what these examples show: strict regulations combined with robust enforcement are the key to reducing Airbnb supply and protecting housing. Registration alone does nothing.

We are not against tourism. We are against the destruction of our communities. Other cities have shown what is possible. Now we demand the Victorian Government do the same.

Sign this petition to demand action.

Our Demands

We call on the Victorian Government to act now. We demand:

1. A State-Wide Planning Permit for Commercial Short-Stay Operations.
   Currently, Victoria has no consistent, state-wide rule requiring a planning permit to use a residential home as a commercial short-stay rental. This has created a patchwork of confusing and unenforceable local rules that fail to protect our housing stock. We demand the Victorian Government close this loophole by introducing a mandatory state-wide planning permit for all non-hosted short-stay accommodation. This would treat short-stay rentals like the commercial businesses they are, and give planners the power to manage their impact on housing supply and local communities.
2. A strict cap on short stay rentals in high density areas and suburbs where housing is most needed.
3. Power for local councils to set their own limits and enforce rules based on what their communities actually need. They know their suburbs better than anyone.

The short stay industry is making money by displacing our neighbours and destroying our communities. We have seen what happens when governments refuse to act and we refuse to accept that future for Melbourne. We will not stand by while our homes become hotels and our communities become products.

Act now. Put people before profits.

Sign here: