Property and land owners around rural Australia and New Zealand are using tiny homes to diversify, partnering with micro home company Tiny Away.
Rural property owners partnering with the company provide a level and suitably scenic spot on their property; whilst Tiny Away provide a compactly designed, fully furnished mini-dwelling. Tiny Away handles marketing and bookings in a profit-sharing arrangement has landowners earning up to 45% of the rental revenue.
The company was founded in Australia in 2018, where it currently has more than 160 tiny houses available for rent, set on privately-owned land across rural New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Malaysia and Taiwan.
The idea is to attract visitors to stay in rural areas. It also enables rural landowners to supplement their income through participating in the tourism economy. It adds to a growing range of alternative, lower-footprint accommodation options, such as Canopy Camping for glamping, and Okay2stay or Campable for travellers in camper vans.
“A Tiny Away stay gives people a chance to experience the tiny house lifestyle and the philosophy of ‘less is more’ when it comes to travelling,” says co-founder Jeff Yeo.
The dwellings are designed in Singapore by the sister company, Big Tiny and built in Australia and New Zealand. The company says the houses are made using sustainable materials with key eco-friendly features including waterless compost toilets, rainwater collections tanks for showers, and solar panels. The modular building model also provides opportunities to reduce construction waste.
Where the houses are located on working farms, hosts have the option of offering tours and other activities, giving visitors a glimpse into parts of rural life not provided by urban-based accommodation.
