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Wrexham co-owners and actors Ryan Reynolds (right) and Rob McElhenney and their team have helped drive a short-stay rental mini-boom that’s helping Aussie homeowners pay their mortgage. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images.
Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds and the Wrexham Association Football Club visit have sparked a short-stay rental boom for Melbourne.
Reynolds is known for roles in hit flicks Deadpool, The Proposal, Free Guy, and Van Wilder, and bought the team alongside It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor Rob McElhenney in 2021.
Their ownership has sparked a documentary about their purchase — and a rapid improvement in the team’s fortunes, rising from England’s fifth-tier league to the possibility they will reach the vaunted Premier League in 2026.
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A dedicated fan base following Wrexham AFC are now behind a 60 per cent surge in searches for Melbourne homes on Airbnb around the match slated for tonight at Marvel Stadium.
Owners cashing in on the visit are expected to make anywhere from $600 to $1000 — similar levels to the $787 typical return around the AFL Grand Final last year.
Many are turning their own home over to fans and spending the weekend with family, as sports fans seeking out residences everywhere from Toorak and Richmond to Kensington, Southbank, Docklands and Melbourne’s CBD.
Airbnb Australian country manager Susan Wheeldon said sport was becoming one of the biggest drivers of travel, and events like the Wrexham tour were enticing fans to “go the extra mile to be part of the action”.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds in the documentary “Welcome To Wrexham”. Picture: FX.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JULY 09: Harry Ashfield of Wrexham AFC controls the ball during a Wrexham AFC appearance at La Trobe Fields in Melbourne. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images.
“Major events are also creating earning opportunities for everyday Australians, with many Airbnb hosts using that extra income to help manage household expenses or support their own travel goals,” Ms Wheeldon said.
“We’re seeing strong demand for group stays on Airbnb, with hosts earning over $1,000 during a major sporting event weekend.”
Melbourne-based host Joanne said she had been noting big jumps in demand for her two-bedroom Toorak apartment when there were major rugby and AFL matches in town. And the residence is usually booked out six months in advance of the Grand Prix and Australian Open.
“It serves as our base when we have to come to the city, so we tend to plan visits around guest stays,” she said.
“In fact our Airbnb has been so popular that we now need to block out dates so we can have the odd weekend in town.
“But Melbourne is sports mad so there are plenty of events attracting guests from regional Victoria, around Australia and internationally.”
She added that in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis the extra money from renting the home out had been vital, particularly for helping with repayments for it.
Soccer is the biggest driver of sports fan short-stay rental bumps, according to Airbnb data, with the star power added by Reynolds and McElhenney, who are expected to be in town alongside the team, to make it one of the busiest weeks this winter.
Among the homes booked out during the Wrexham match is an unusual Richmond warehouse residence known as “Sherlock’s Home” that spreads over three levels and costs $315 a night.
The side will play a second match against Sydney FC on Tuesday, July 15, with Sydneysiders also expected to cash in.
A Richmond home offered on Airbnb that’s attracted the eye of Wrexham fans. Known as Sherlock’s Home it is available around $315 a night, plus cleaning and other costs.
Airbnb Australia and New Zealand boss Susan Wheeldon said sports travel was helping Australians pay their bills, and cover their own holiday costs. Source: Supplied.
The recently released Airbnb Sport Report shows sporting events are helping Aussie homeowners around major cities collect as much as $2000, many of them using it to fund their own holidays — or moving back in with family and putting the money on their mortgage, or rent.
Their research shows Melbourne’s two-week love affair with tennis around the Australian Open is the most profitable, with a typical $2018 return from January 12-26.
Cricket Test matches aren’t far behind, with fans shelling out almost $1400 on average for the Sydney test and close to $1200 to have a place in Melbourne near the Boxing Day event at the MCG.
Recent State of Origin clashes have also been a lucrative time for homeowners offering their homes to sporting fans, with 2024 figures showing the matches helped bring in $615 for the third match in Brisbane last year.
AUSSIE SPORTS BIGGEST HOUSING WINNERS
Australian Open (Melbourne) – $2018 (Jan 12-26, 2025)
Sydney (Pink) Test (cricket) – $1391 (Jan 3-6, 2025)
Boxing Day Test (Melbourne, cricket) – $1185 (Dec 26-30, 2024)
NRL Grand Final (Sydney) – $1008 (Oct 4-6, 2024)
Gold Coast Marathon (Queensland) – $1094 (July 5-8, 2024)
Perth Test (cricket) – $915 (Nov 22-25, 2024)
AFL Grand Final (Melbourne) – $787 (Sep 27-30, 2024)
State of Origin Game Three (Brisbane) – $615 (Jul 16-18, 2024)
Source: Airbnb
Airbnb’s Sport Report found Sydney was the most likely to attract people to travel interstate for a sporting event, with about 5147 people indicating they would in surveys conducted by the short-stay firm.
Melbourne was next at 4881, followed by Brisbane at 3112.
Soccer was the biggest attraction, accounting for 30 per cent of those considering an interstate journey for a game, the AFL accounted for 22 per cent of sporting travel intentions while tennis had about 21 per cent.
Sydney homeowner Angela said she’d had her property booked out for the NRL Grand Final in October for a number of months, and others book in as they prepare to compete in the Sydney Marathon in August.
Major surfing events are also a regular attraction.
Sydney-based Airbnb operator Angela, and the studio she has listed on the website.
The Penrith Panthers after the NRL Grand Final in 2024 — which drove high demand for short-stay rentals. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.
“Because my studio is small and affordable, but in a great location with off-street parking, I’ve seen a steady flow of guests through the winter,” she said.
“It’s really helped with paying my mortgage and it gives huge peace of mind, particularly since there was no expected rate cut this week.”
However Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Association of Australia vice-president Zoran Solano said anyone considering making their home available should keep in mind that it might come with unexpected impacts.
“If it does become an income producing asset, I have spoken to enough accountants to know that if you draw an income from a property, the tax office will want to tax it,” Mr Solano said.
While that might mean the home could be subject to capital gains where it otherwise wouldn’t be, he noted that it should only correlate to the time it was rented out for – and there would be an argument than any growth in the span of a few days would be limited.
A Toorak apartment offered on Airbnb gives a sense of the types of homes being booked out by Wrexham fans in Melbourne.
In Melbourne’s west, well connected apartments including this Kensington home are popular on the site and were attracting the eye of travelling sports fans this week.
Even so, he said it would be worth discussing with your accountant before rushing into it.
Mr Solano added that as interest rates had risen, many Australian investors had turned to short-stay accommodation as a way to boost returns for their properties as they tried to keep up with repayments.
However, while major sporting events could boost that appeal for investors — he noted that both government’s and owners corporations were taking increasing interest in short-stay rentals and that it would be wise to know if there was scope for your home to fall back into the long-term rental market if necessary.
“That could be important to save them from being pigeonholed,” Mr Solano said.
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