1. Airbnb or a long-term rental: the short answer

It depends on three things: what your property earns per night, how many nights the local rules let you book, and the extra costs a short let carries.

A long let gives steady rent with little work and few running costs. A short let can bring in more, but income moves with the season, every stay needs cleaning, and some states and councils limit or charge for short stays.

Rather than compare averages, this guide gives you a way to test your own property: work out the weekly rent a long let would need to match the short let, then compare it with what a local agent says you could get.

2. The break-even weekly rent at five addresses

These figures come from Houst's pricing tool for a two-bedroom, one-bathroom property at five addresses, pulled in October 2026. Yearly income is the nightly rate times the nights booked. We then take off Houst's 14% management fee and divide by 52 to get the weekly rent a long let would need to match.

• Sydney CBD: A$444.37 a night at 84% occupancy, capped at 180 nights. About A$79,987 a year, A$68,788 after a 14% management fee, so a long let would need about A$1,323 a week to match.
• Melbourne CBD: A$326.74 a night at 70% occupancy. About A$83,482 a year, A$71,795 after a 14% management fee, so a long let would need about A$1,381 a week to match.
• Fortitude Valley, Brisbane: A$347.28 a night at 72% occupancy. About A$91,265 a year, A$78,488 after a 14% management fee, so a long let would need about A$1,509 a week to match.
• Broadbeach, Gold Coast: A$309.93 a night at 77% occupancy. About A$87,106 a year, A$74,911 after a 14% management fee, so a long let would need about A$1,441 a week to match.
• Cottesloe, Perth: A$364.08 a night at 73% occupancy. About A$97,009 a year, A$83,428 after a 14% management fee, so a long let would need about A$1,604 a week to match.

2.1 How to use these numbers

Ask a local agent what the same property would rent for on a long lease. If their weekly figure is above the break-even rent, a long let probably wins. If it is well below, a short let may be worth it, once you take off the extra costs in the next section.

2.2 Why the Sydney figure is lower than you might expect

At A$444.37 a night and 84% occupancy, the Sydney address would earn about A$136,244 over a full year. But an unhosted property in Greater Sydney can only be booked for 180 nights in each 12-month registration period, so the figure above uses 180 nights. That cap cuts its short-let income by more than a third.

3. Costs a short let carries that a long let doesn't

The break-even rent only allows for the management fee. Before you decide, take these off the short-let side as well:

• Cleaning and linen after every stay.
• Utilities and internet. On a long let, tenants usually pay their own electricity and internet. On a short let, you do.
• Furnishing and replacements. A short let needs a fully furnished, guest-ready home, and short stays wear things out faster.
• Insurance. A short-stay policy usually costs more than standard landlord cover. Our guide to Airbnb insurance in Australia covers what you need.
• Platform fees, unless your manager's fee already covers them.
• Empty nights. Short-let occupancy changes with the season. A long let pays the same every week while it is let.

Tax works the same way on both: rental income is declared and expenses are claimed in proportion. See how Airbnb income is taxed in Australia.

4. Rules that can cap short-let income

4.1 NSW

An unhosted property in Greater Sydney can be booked for 180 nights in each 12-month registration period. Hosted stays, where you live there, are not capped. Our guide to the NSW 180-night cap and registration has the detail.

4.2 Western Australia

Every short stay must be on the state register before it is advertised. In Perth metro, an unhosted property let for more than 90 nights in 12 months needs development approval. Without approval, the Cottesloe address above would be limited to 90 nights, or about A$32,767 a year, and a long let would only need about A$542 a week to match it. See the Perth register and the 90-night rule.

4.3 Victoria

There is no night cap, but a 7.5% short stay levy applies to stays under 28 nights. Platforms pay it on their bookings, but it adds to the guest's price. Our guide to Victoria's short stay levy explains it.

4.4 Queensland

There is no state night cap. Brisbane City Council charges a higher rate on homes offered as short stays for more than 60 days a year, which counts as an extra cost. See what a Brisbane Airbnb can earn.

5. Which one suits you

A short let may suit you if

• the local rules let you book most of the year, or you have approval
• the break-even rent is well above what an agent quotes for a long let
• you want to use the property yourself for some of the year
• you are happy with income that moves with the season.

A long let may suit you if

• a night cap limits how much you can book
• the agent's rent is close to or above the break-even rent
• you want steady income with little involvement.

The middle option

Stays of a month or more for contractors and people relocating can fill gaps without the turnover of nightly stays. In Victoria, stays of 28 nights or more are outside the levy, and in WA, stays of three months or more are outside the short-term rental rules.

For a figure based on your own address, see the Airbnb management in Australia page, or what a Sydney Airbnb can earn for a full city breakdown.

Figures reflect Houst pricing tool data for two-bedroom, one-bathroom properties, pulled in October 2026, before costs other than the management fee. Actual results vary. This is not financial advice.