Owner of Narooma-based Whale Coast Realty John Murray said the majority of the short-term holiday rentals listed through his business were owned by families who liked to use the houses themselves.

"The whole reason they have them is to use them," he said. "They own it for a reason."

Read more: Help them! Community begs for action on Oak Flats mum facing homelessness

He said only 10 to 15 per cent of houses listed through Whale Coast were purely generating income for the owners, and the other 85 to 90 per cent were rented to cover costs associated with maintaining the family weekender.

Listed on the short term market, Mr Murray said an owner could earn the same amount of money as long term renting, with less wear and tear on the house they loved.

He said often properties were co-owned by multiple family members - usually based in Wollongong, Canberra or Sydney - who would visit on alternative weekends.

"Once someone is in it for six months [in a long-term rental], the owner can't come anymore," he said.

Mr Murray said Eurobodalla mayor Mathew Hatcher's letter to ratepayers was essentially asking home owners to not come down and visit.

It is not just home owners who would be prevented from visiting.

Eurobodalla Shire Council statistics report the Eurobodalla attracts 1.2 million visitors annually, with the tourism industry employing 1423 people. According to the council's 2018 Visitor Research report, 32 per cent of visitors to the shire south of Coila Lake stayed in a rented holiday home or apartment during their visit.

Mr Murray said all 140 properties Whale Coast Realty listed were always full during peak holiday times, such as Christmas, Easter and during the Narooma Oyster Festival.

Removing short-term rentals from the market would reduce supply available for tourists.

Currently Whale Coast Realty has four properties available for rent in Narooma, and Mr Murray said affordability was the biggest issue.

The real-estate market has "totally changed" in the eight years since he started working in Narooma.

"The lower end of the market has completely gone away," Mr Murray said.

He said houses formerly rented for $200 now cost $300, and there were no affordable options available.

He said owners were expecting higher rents and a good return on their investments. The rising cost of purchasing a house has only made this expectation worse.

"Rising house prices means people need to pay it back," Mr Murray said.

He has watched a rise in the number of people buying holiday homes to visit every couple of months throughout the year.

Whale Coast Realty regularly asks owners to consider full time rentals if they were not receiving much income through the short-term arrangement.

"It is ultimately the decision of the owner," Mr Murray said.

"It is up to them."

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Illawarra Mercury website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.