State governments and local councils are setting their sights on short-term accommodation providers as they struggle to solve chronic housing shortages. On Monday night, Hobart City Council voted to double the rates on about 700 properties used for holiday rentals via platforms like Airbnb and Stayz, along with vacant residential land. Hobart’s Mayor Anna Reynolds says 9% of the city’s rental properties have been turned into “short-stay mini-hotels”, and that’s driving bad outcomes for those who need a place to live. It follows in Brisbane City Council’s footsteps last week to raise rates on short-stays by 65% to discourage landlords from taking properties off the long-term rental market. And in Victoria, the state government’s considering higher taxes on short-term accommodation providers and “rent caps or other forms of rent control”. Reports say legislation enforcing the regime is expected to pass this week.