The formal feedback on the issue had come mostly from Airbnb owners – 49 of the 56 submitters were owners of short-term visitor accommodation. The small number of others who provided feedback were all worried about Airbnbs taking residential dwellings out of the owner-occupier and longer-term rental market. Since October 2020 the number of Airbnbs on the West Coast has dropped by 30 per cent (240 properties) and current occupancy rates were less than 50 per cent, the planners reported. “Whether these 240 properties have returned to other housing markets, or just been withdrawn from Airbnb listings is not known but is likely related to the decline in tourism in parts of the West Coast,” they said.