A GROWING of WA Airbnb accommodation — from converted buses and railway carriages to a two-man tent pitched in a suburban backyard — are popping up online after a 34 per cent jump in listings.
Airbnb listings in WA climbed to 10,400 dwellings this year, with the average home rented for 33 nights a year.
Sam McDonagh, Australia and New Zealand manager for Airbnb, said travellers were increasingly drawn to homes that were rustic and unique, rather than simply comfortable.
“Beyond the standard urban apartment, non-traditional homes are seeing the largest increases over last year,” he said.
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The WA offerings include an old school bus for $30 a night on a 4.4ha wildlife sanctuary in Geraldton. It has been converted to include three beds and is powered by solar and wind energy.
At the other end of the caravanning spectrum is a $103-a-night glamping caravan, complete with an eight-person jacuzzi and outdoor bathroom, on a 2ha property in Mandurah.
Four guests can stay in a converted railway carriage in the Swan Valley for $66 a night, surrounded by the rolling hills of Rusty Hollow Farm.
In Trigg, an enterprising homeowner has pitched a two-man tent on a sandy patch in their backyard for $18 a night.
Guests can use the kitchen, bathroom and wi-fi from the main house, but sleep outside in their tent. The house is only 400m from the beach, so the owners have even offered surfboard hire for $25 an hour.
Moving up the scale, a four-bedroom South Perth home with a pool has been drawing dozens of customers from across the world, paying rent of anywhere between $350 and $500 a night.
Owner Amelia Thornycroft, who has achieved super-host status partly because of the five-star ratings her house has been given, said she rented out her family home for half the year.
The family of four travelled for the rest of the year for her husband’s job as a pilot trainer.
The extra income ensured she could quit her own job in consultancy.
Mrs Thornycroft said her home had a 40 per cent occupancy rate and almost all rentals had been positive experiences. Only one customer had caused damage, which was covered by the $1000 security deposit.
Unlike other neighbourhoods where Airnbnb has caused friction with neighbours, she said there had not been complaints on her street, apart from the occasional night when lights were left on.
Most customers were families attracted to the family-oriented yet central neighbourhood, as well as the pool.
The countryside is also another favourite drawcard, and guests wanting a country retreat are spoilt for choice.
They include a 15-bed home beside an extinct volcano at the base of Porongurup National Park. The house has views over the Stirling Ranges and the Porongurups, for $800 a night.
If you like scenery that changes by the day, a houseboat moored at Cape Leeuwin could be the perfect choice. The houseboat sleeps eight people for $750 a night. It includes a rear deck with a BBQ.
A two-storey home called The Seahorse is 10 minutes west of Margaret River and overlooks some of the world’s most famous surf breaks along the Gnarabup and Prevelly coast.
The three-bedroom house rents for $800 a night and comes with outdoor shower and heated lap pool.
Ocean views in the city are also expensive. A three-level house in City Beach with ocean views to Rottnest Island costs $1000 a night. It accommodates seven and has four bedrooms.
One of the most expensive homes in WA on Airbnb overlooks Eagle Bay and rents for $1250 a night. Eight guests can be accommodated in four bedrooms.
The home has its own tropical indoor waterfall, a Mediterranean wood-fired pizza oven on the entertainment deck, a sauna and a custom-built eight-person spa with a natural waterfall.
