Northern Rivers Airbnb: 13.2% occupancy (+0 pts YoY), ~£216 median daily rate, 4,513 active listings. Seasonality, top neighbourhoods by revenue and what an…
Year-over-year performance
Compared to the closest snapshot from approximately 12 months ago, the Northern Rivers short-term rental market has shifted in measurable ways. Occupancy among active listings is up 0 points, while the median daily rate is up 35 percent.
Looking further back: three years ago, occupancy was 1.7 points lower. Two years ago, 2.1 points higher.
When Northern Rivers Airbnbs perform best
Occupancy in Northern Rivers peaks in September at 59% and bottoms out in February at 37%, a 22-point swing across the year. Price the peak, defend the shoulder months with minimum-stay rules, and budget the trough as empty.
| Month | Occupancy | Median nightly rate |
|---|---|---|
| January | 47% | — |
| February | 37% | — |
| March | 39% | — |
| April | 41% | — |
| May | 38% | — |
| June | 42% | — |
| July | 47% | — |
| August | 50% | — |
| September | 59% | — |
| October | 51% | — |
| November | 42% | — |
| December | 50% | — |
Looking ahead, 44% of the next 30 nights are already booked across the market, 42% of the next 60 and 48% of the next 90 (as of 2026-10-18).
How Northern Rivers compares to Australia
Benchmarked against 11 other Australia markets we track, Northern Rivers's metrics tell a clear story.
What kind of Airbnbs are in Northern Rivers?
Of the 4,513 active operating listings, 92.4% are entire homes (vs private rooms), and 58.3% are operated by Airbnb Superhosts.
Top neighborhoods in Northern Rivers
The 7 neighborhoods we track range from established tourist hotspots to emerging investment zones. Here are the 7 strongest by median annual revenue per listing, led by BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL at £16,414 a year.
| Neighborhood | Listings | Occupancy | Annual revenue | RevPAR | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL | 1,793 | 16.4% | £16,414 | £45 | +1.6 pts YoY |
| TWEED SHIRE COUNCIL | 1,126 | 13.2% | £12,124 | £33 | +0 pts YoY |
| LISMORE CITY COUNCIL | 180 | 21.4% | £11,939 | £33 | -4.9 pts YoY |
| KYOGLE COUNCIL | 51 | 23% | £11,548 | £32 | +6.6 pts YoY |
| BALLINA SHIRE COUNCIL | 519 | 11.5% | £10,670 | £29 | -1.7 pts YoY |
| CLARENCE VALLEY COUNCIL | 741 | 8.2% | £8,758 | £24 | -2.3 pts YoY |
| RICHMOND VALLEY COUNCIL | 103 | 8.2% | £5,141 | £14 | +0 pts YoY |
Frequently asked questions
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