City of Sydney council urges government to improve STRA regulations to unlock market
A Sydney council is urging the state government to help prevent Airbnb owners from ducking the short-term rental accommodation 180-cap and incentivise long-term renting. Find out more.
NSW
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City of Sydney Council has urged the state government to help prevent Airbnb owners from ducking the short-term rental accommodation cap.
The council has urged the government to introduce incentives for long-term renting and called for help to help enforce regulations around STRA properties.
Under the regulations, there is a 180 day on “non-hosted STRA based on location”.
In 2023, there were 2468 active and registered STRA properties in the City of Sydney, according to the NSW Government.
However there were 5454 active STRA properties in the council, an independent study showed.
Councillor Jess Miller told this masthead the STRA registration process was “loose” as owners can list a property without being on the NSW government registry.
“The data collection process is so bad – that no one really knows how many properties are being taken off the long-term rental market and used for STRA because it is an easier way to make money,” she said.
Unregistered STRA properties makes it difficult for councils to understand which residential buildings are being used as homes or for accommodation, Ms Miller added.
At the February council meeting, councillors voted for Lord Mayor Clover Moore to urge the government to help incentivise long-term property leases and discourage commercial operators from using dwellings to profit from STRA.
Ms Miller said poor registration could lead commercial operators to “exploit our existing loopholes” by investing in STRA and advertising their properties on Airbnb platforms.
“Which in effect take rentals off the market and leave many houses empty for a large part of the year,” she said.
Ms Miller said STRA properties were “lazy space” that could be used to unlock 5000 homes and provide people with much-needed secure, long-term housing within the City of Sydney.
“In a cost-of-living and housing affordability crisis this is low-hanging fruit that the government should act on now,” she said.
To improve the registration process, the council has asked the government to empower the Office of Fair NSW Trading to help enforce 180-day cap breaches and issue fines to open up the long-term rental market.
A Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure spokesperson told the publication all local councils in NSW had access to the STRA Register and had a role in enforcing rules.
“Housing affordability is influenced by many ongoing and legacy factors that cannot be solely attributed to STRA,” the spokesperson said.
The publication understands the NSW government is reviewing the STRA planning policy and regulations.
The review is examining new potential policy options to incentivise property investors to make properties available as long-term rental accommodation.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully has been contacted for comment.
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Originally published as City of Sydney council urges government to improve STRA regulations to unlock market
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