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In September, summer feels a long way off. The beach house is quiet, and there's no rush to decide anything about it.
The guests booking those holidays see it differently. They're already looking. By the time an owner sits down in November, a good share of the year's best nights has gone to someone else. So the deadline isn't December. It's now.
For most Australian short-term rentals, summer is where the money is made. The Christmas to New Year block runs from 21 December to 6 January and, across our portfolio, has the highest average nightly earnings of the year.
That block books eight to 12 weeks out on the Gold Coast, in Sydney, Melbourne and on the Mornington Peninsula. Count back 12 weeks from 21 December, and you land in late September.
Share of December bookings made more than 90 days ahead:
There's a pricing side to this too. Holding a strong rate through peak season works when you set that rate before the demand arrives. Set it late, and you're staring at an empty December calendar in November, discounting in a market that would have paid full price. So the answer to how to maximise Airbnb rental income over summer is mostly a question of timing.
New to this? If you're after passive income through Airbnb hosting, our guide on starting an Airbnb in Australia covers the set-up.
Pricing the Christmas block, tracking lead times, looking after guests over the holidays - it's a lot to take on alone, and the window is closing.
That's where Hometime comes in. We're a full-service short-term rental management company, so we run the whole thing for you:
Sign before 30 November, and we'll have your listing published and taking bookings by 15 December. Getting there takes a few weeks of photos, styling and pricing, and we'll put $750 towards those set-up costs.
You never pay these upfront. Normally we cover them and take them from your first payout; the $750 means we absorb that amount instead, so it stays in your pocket.
$750 towards getting you summer ready
New listings only. Sign before 30 Nov. Six month minimum term and the $750 is yours to keep.
$750 applies to new listings only. Contract signed 1 September – 30 November 2026, listing live by 15 December 2026, minimum six-month term. The affiliate program runs alongside this offer: if a new listing joins through an affiliate link, the referrer gets $1,500, and the new listing gets $750.
Not every market does. Brisbane, Mudgee and Darwin earn most mid-year, so a spring set-up puts you ready ahead of your own peak rather than behind it.
The lead times hold either way. Even in Mudgee, where December is a shoulder month, a quarter of December bookings land more than 90 days out. Wherever your property sits, what fills your December calendar gets decided in September. See how the markets compare in our guide to the best Airbnb markets in Australia.
We front your onboarding costs either way. Sign before 30 November, and we'll absorb $750 of them, so the money stays with you. Your listing needs to be live by 15 December to qualify.
Read the full terms above.
In the right market with the calendar managed properly, yes. Occupancy across our portfolio runs from 52–80% in Newcastle to 75–85% in Brisbane, against market ranges below both. The variable often isn't the property; it's whether the peak windows get priced before they fill.
The Christmas block books eight to 12 weeks out, so working back from 21 December puts the deadline in late September. Onboarding takes a few weeks on top; photography, styling, listing setup, and pricing all happen before your first guest. Signing in September gives you the full window. Late November is tight but workable, provided the listing goes live by 15 December.
Onboarding costs: the photography and deep clean that get your property ready to list. We usually front those costs and recover them from your first reconciliation. The $750 offer means we absorb that amount instead, so it stays in your payout.
Non-hosted properties in Greater Sydney can be let on a short-term basis for up to 180 nights a year. Stays of 21 nights or more are exempt, so the mix of bookings across the year is worth planning: spend cap nights on the highest-value dates, use longer stays in the soft months. Rules differ elsewhere, so check the Airbnb regulations by council that apply where you are. Our Sydney Airbnb management page covers how we handle it.
Price the Christmas block in September, extend minimum stays across 21 December to 6 January, and open your calendar far enough ahead that guests booking 12 weeks out can find your dates. Save discounting for the genuine soft months.
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