There are currently more than 240 Orange houses, cottages, farms and apartments available for short term lease on the Airbnb website, jumping from 110 at the start of 2017.

Airbnb said in a statement this week those hosts had earned a collective $2.7 million in a year.

Airbnb’s country manager for Australia Sam McDonagh said the typical host in Orange earned an extra $200 a week in income.

“In 2018, our community in Orange grew strongly with more local families and small businesses benefiting from the opportunities created by home sharing,” he said. 

“Home sharing is putting more money in families back pockets and easing the high cost-of-living.”

The growth in hosts has occurred in conjunction with an increase in people seeking accommodation in Orange through Airbnb, with the number of people finding somewhere to stay through the website more than tripling over the last three years.

According to the statement, more than 17,800 people stayed in Airbnb properties in the last 12 months in Orange, up from 5000 in 2016.

Tim Mortimer has started a service in Orange which helps Airbnb hosts with their properties.

From managing his parents Airbnb at Mortimer Wines, the business – BNB Made Easy – has grown to include seven clients who are mostly too busy to keep up with the demands of hosting visitors.

He said Orange residents have recognised there is a much higher return on Airbnb than long- term leasing but they’re often not sure how to navigate the service.

Mr Mortimer said one of his properties is 100 per cent booked up for the next two months, which follows a two month period in 2018 when every listed Airbnb in Orange was booked out.

He said people have recognised how much more comfortable homes can be compared to hotels and despite the increase in hosts Orange’s Airbnb market still has room to expand.

“It doesn’t look like it’s slowing down,” he said.

Bathurst has 270 Airbnb listed properties, which hosted 9400 guests last year.