On Wednesday, Queenstown Lakes District Council requested proposals for a study to "provide insights" into the impact of the short-term visitor accommodation market in and around the area.
Council housing strategic planner Emily Irwin said the study would build on existing information and analysis.
This included an Infometrics report, commissioned by Airbnb, which in July found the short-term rental accommodation sector had a "limited effect" on rental prices and "no significant effect" on house prices locally.
At the time, Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Glyn Lewers wondered if "witchcraft" had been involved in the report’s conclusions and said council staff felt it did not align with their experience.
Ms Irwin said the council needed more evidence to understand the impacts of short-term letting on housing in Queenstown Lakes and neighbouring parts of Central Otago.
"In particular, we want to understand the impact of short-term letting on the availability of homes, given that we already have a large proportion of holiday homes that are typically unavailable for normal residential use."
In its proposal request, the council said the study would inform what policy interventions, if any, could improve availability and supply of homes for long-term renters and owner-occupiers in the area.
"Quality robust evidence on the relationship between [short-term letting] and the long-term rental and owner-occupier markets is our key priority," it read.
"This has been a contentious issue for the Queenstown Lakes community."
The council faced significant pressure to accommodate population and visitor growth, particularly given the area’s alpine landscape, it said.
The study contract is expected to begin in March, for an initial term of six months.
