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As the Mackenzie district grapples with a shortage of long-term housing and worker accommodation, one Twizel property owner has turned his former Airbnb into a rental for workers.
The district has come under scrutiny this year for its lack of affordable long-term housing, with Mackenzie District Council reporting struggles to recruit staff in March because of the shortage.
In May, councillors agreed to sell a Tekapo lot subject to strict legal requirements that it be developed for worker accommodation.
Mackenzie businesses have also begun sourcing their own worker accommodation, with High Country Salmon housing its 60+ workers by renting from local property owners.
One such property owner, Christchurch resident Ryan Stratford, purchased an old hydro home in Twizel in 2023, renovating it to "live the Airbnb dream".
But two years later, hit by lower-than-expected occupancy rates, Stratford said the Airbnb process just "didn't make any sense".
"The market dipped, we didn't have great occupancy rates and it just didn't pay for itself… that first financial year was just a complete write-off."
At the time, Stratford approached Mount Cook Alpine Salmon about privately renting the property, but they were at capacity, so his parents put him in touch with High Country Salmon.
"We're in our second fixed tenancy now."
He said 18 months later, leasing to the salmon farm was a "no brainer".
Rent, maintenance and inspections were managed through High Country Salmon, he said, making the arrangement largely hands-off.
He said he was still doing maintenance, such as gardening, but he could be an inactive landlord if he wanted.
Stratford conducted his own six-monthly inspections, meeting the workers, while High Country Salmon carried out its own and sent them to him.
The stable rent also provided a reliable income trail for financing and dealing with banks, he said.
"They're not concerned… because it's got a solid tenancy on it."
The arrangement also removed several problems he had encountered with Airbnb, including property damage.
"I don't believe the quality of the cleaning was to a standard."
He said he also didn't hear about damage, such as chairs being slammed into the white walls and causing large marks.
With High Country Salmon, he said, damage was reported quickly and there was greater accountability.
He said Airbnb guests also generated large amounts of waste, with one 240-litre bin proving insufficient.
It also required more hands-on involvement, he said, including ensuring the house was open for guests, warm and had all the amenities.
Stratford believed the appeal of Airbnb was partly driven by rising house prices in Twizel, where rental income was often not enough to cover the mortgage, making it look better on paper.
He paid $500,000 for the property, with rental payments covering the mortgage.
"But the same house now we'd have to pay $650k for… the [rent] calculation wouldn't make sense."
As a first-time rental property owner, Stratford said the process with High Country Salmon had been simple, and he was already looking for more properties to rent to the business.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air