Luxury property rental business Luxico’s staff star in Billion Dollar Playground (centre) while some of their listings, on the Gold Coast (left) and in Byron Bay (right) can be rented for thousands of dollars per night. Pictures: Supplied/Luxico.
Australian rich listers are making the most of their grand homes by renting them out for up to $100,000 per week during summer.
Deluxe properties including houses and penthouses across the nation’s capitals and coastal areas are earning up sums of up to $10,0000, or even $15,000 per week, as the weather heats up.
Luxico founder and managing director Alexandra Ormerod established the luxury property rental business alongside her husband Tom, in 2013.
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They have listings across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, with plans to launch select homes in South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania soon.
Since starting out, their company has featured in the reality series Billion Dollar Playground which follows Luxico staff as they fulfil the requests of ultra-rich guests who stay in their impressive listings.
The show, which aired on Foxtel’s Binge streaming service, is set to shoot its second season in 2026.
Luxico high-end homes have also been used as the backdrop for several reality television series and films, in major advertising campaigns and appeared in magazines like Vogue Living and Belle.
A Luxico listing known as Piccadilly House, in NSW’s Byron Bay region, can be rented from $8300 per night. Picture: Supplied/Luxico.
Luxico founder and managing director Alexandra Ormerod says the company is focused on hyper-personalisation and the curation of unique experiences, tailored to guests.
The Balmoral Golden Mile Luxe home in Mosman., Sydney, which can be leased from $9500 per night. Supplied/Luxico.
The ABC program Total Control starring Deborah Mailman and Rachel Griffiths was filmed at one of Luxico’s Sydney pads, while another NSW property was used in the comedic drama series Strife with Asher Keddie.
Some of Luxico’s high-profile guests have included celebrity couple David Beckham and Victoria Beckham, and former world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic.
Ms Ormerod said Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Sydney and Byron Bay in NSW and QLD’s Brisbane and Noosa were the most in-demand Aussie locations in summer, thanks to the beaches, culture and culinary scene on offer in each destination.
The Judge in Portsea, on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, is a five-bedroom house where guests can stay from $4950 per night. Supplied/Luxico.
The six-bedroom Saint Moritz Penthouse in St Kilda, Melbourne, featuring a champagne bar, cocktail bar, media room, games room and pools, is available to rent from $8300 per night. Supplied/Luxico.
More than 90 per cent of the company’s listings earn $10,000 or more per week during peak summer periods – a sum higher than the Australian median full-time $88,400 salary, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
“Melbourne and Sydney’s premium homes exceed $20,000 per week during peak season, Brisbane luxury homes typically range from $10,000 to $20,000,” Ms Ormerod said.
Their most exclusive listings can command more than $100,000 per week – equating to $15,000-plus per night – in peak season.
However, some listings are available to rent for three figures per night, as opposed figures of $1000-plus.
In order to earn $10,000 or more a week, homes must fulfil several key criteria such as being in a prime location and having four or more bedrooms, designer interiors, a pool and outdoor entertaining area, Ms Ormerod noted.
Features such as panoramic views or direct beach access are also handy.
The Balmoral Golden Mile Luxe property’s stunning pool. Supplied/Luxico.
Named the Brisbane Sky Home and featuring a north-facing balcony fitted with an automated drop-down bar and Vintec wine fridge, this home can be leased from $1500 per night. Picture: Supplied/Luxico.
Actor Asher Keddie starred in a show Strife that was filmed at a Luxico listing in NSW. Picture: Supplied.
Luxico only lists professionally-managed properties and those with on-site managers, to ensure that homes are prepared to the highest possible standards.
“We’re all about personalisation, our concierge team handles all special guest requests and special touches — whether it’s a mattress upgrade, private chef, or curated local experiences,” Ms Ormerod said.
“We once flew a particular mattress in from overseas for a celebrity guest.”
At the moment, Luxico is looking for Soho-style lofts, large family homes and sprawling estates in locations such as Bondi Beach and Paddington in NSW, Mermaid Beach and Burleigh in QLD, and South Yarra, Malvern and Portsea in Victoria to add to its portfolio.
Described as a European-inspired manor, Piccadilly House in Byron Bay offers ocean and hinterland views and can be rented from $8300 per night. Picture: Supplied/Luxico.
The Sky High Estate on the Gold Coast where guests can stay from $2850 per night. The minimum booking time frame for the home must be 90 days or more. Picture: Supplied/Luxico.
Most properties must be available year round while some properties can have seasonal availability, with interested homeowners able to inquire via Luxico’s website.
“All homes should be well maintained and guest ready, so hosts need to be prepared to pack up all personal items and clutter to provide a five-star experience,” Ms Ormerod said.
The weekly rental rates are set by the property manager or host, but Luxico will provide guidance if they feel the rates are not consistent with other properties in the same area.
Almost half of Luxico’s guest hail from countries outside Australia with international bookings, from places such as the US, UK and Singapore, rising in peak seasons.
Many of the company’s priciest listings can book up six to 12 months in advance particularly during Christmas and the New Year.
Billion Dollar Playground, starring Luxico staff, will film its second season in 2026. Picture: Supplied.
This six-bedroom house, named Aireys Escape, on Victoria’s Great Ocean Rd can be rented from $2800 per night. Picture: Supplied/Luxico.
Abercrombys new business and leasing executive, Paul Tunney, said the agency has a selection of Melbourne homes available as short to longer-term rental accommodation, usually priced between $3000 to $10,000 per week, in suburbs such as Toorak, Hawthorn and Armadale.
These offerings are typically furnished penthouses or renovated five-bedroom homes with swimming pools, and are mostly listed off-market.
One of their $10,000-per-week Toorak properties features formal and casual living areas, a kitchen fitted with Gaggenau appliances, a sauna, gym and terrace looking out to the pool and tennis court.
This Toorak, Melbourne, house can be leased for $10,000 per week through the Abercrombys real estate agency.
The impressive home has six bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Mr Tunney said the agency’s rental clients often came from overseas, including returning expatriates and business bigwigs.
“You’ll get some clients who might rent something short term for the Formula One, or for the tennis,” Mr Tunney said.
“Others might come from Sydney for a six-month project, and then you’ve got clients that are here for a couple of years as well.”
Some of the properties available for rent have been listed by owners who have gone interstate or opted for a tree-change or sea-change, but who wanted to retain their city residence, he added.
An Airbnb property, known as the 3BR Luxury Retreat, in Fitzroy, Melbourne, was listed as costing $1701 to stay for three nights in December 2025. Picture: Supplied/Airbnb.
The Palm Pavilion rainforest retreat in Church Point, Sydney, where guests could stay for $3928 for three nights, in January 2026. Picture: Supplied/Airbnb.
Some Aussie listings offered by global short-term rental accommodation and local experiences website Airbnb also earn more than $1000 per night in peak periods, in locations including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.
The company’s Australia and New Zealand country manager, Susan Wheeldon, said hosting on Airbnb could help Australians offset their own travel costs this summer.
“With so many Australians heading away, you can easily list your home with the assistance of a co-host, it’s the ideal side hustle without the hassle,” Ms Wheeldon said.
The “Very Private Luxury House” in New Farm, Brisbane, available to rent for $3185 across two nights in January 2026. Picture: Supplied/Airbnb.
The Sand Road Estate, McLaren Vale, Adelaide. Two nights’ stay can cost about $3643. Picture: Supplied/Airbnb.
Airbnb’s Co-Host Network helps hosts, who go away themselves, to find an experienced co-host to help manage their listing.
Ms Wheeldon said that well-known holiday spots could anticipate strong demand throughout the summer.
“Group travel makes more premium stays, such as beachfront properties or homes with private pools, more affordable,” she added.
A 2025 Airbnb internal survey found that 70 per cent of hosts used their earnings from the platform to help cover mortgages and bills.
A CO-HOST’S EXPERIENCE
Airbnb co-host Elisa Tang runs the boutique luxury property management company Cove Curation. Picture: Supplied/Airbnb.
Airbnb co-host Elisa Tseng launched the boutique luxury property management company Cove Curation, which manages a portfolio of premium short-term rental homes primarily in Sydney’s Lower North Shore and Northern Beaches, in 2024.
Cove Curation partners with homeowners to style, market, and manage their properties as high-end short-term rentals.
Ms Tang said started out as an Airbnb host about eight or nine years ago, including in her own home.
“One guest that stands out was a German investment banker on a mid-career sabbatical,” Ms Tang said.
“We ended up walking the Harbour Bridge, catching the ferry to Circular Quay, doing the Bronte-Bondi coastal walk and having a drink at Icebergs – it reminded me how powerful a welcoming home can be when someone is in transition.”
One of the properties she manages in Sydney, known as the Lavender Bay Residence. Picture: Supplied/Airbnb.
Cove Curation’s flagship property is known as the Lavender Bay Residence.
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom Art Deco home offers uninterrupted views of the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Luna Park.
Ms Tang said the Christmas and New Year period typically saw Australian and international guests including expat families helping children to settle into boarding schools.
“February is strong for long-haul international travel, particularly from the US, Canada and Europe, as it’s the coldest month in the northern hemisphere,” she said.
“We also welcome a significant number of guests from Asia, especially China, Korea and southeast Asia, and this is particularly noticeable around Chinese New Year – which varies each year and often brings multi-generational family travel.”
Ms Tang enjoys the Lavender Bay Residence’s views. Picture: Supplied/Airbnb.
Ms Tang said her advice to people thinking about becoming an Airbnb host was to “genuinely care about the experience you’re creating”.
“How a space feels when someone walks in, whether the home gives them a sense of calm, and if they feel looked after even when you’re not physically there,” she said.
“Hospitality is human at its core.”
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