The NSW Government is under pressure from traditional holiday apartment operators, from strata residents, from Airbnb and Stayz, and from property owners who all have a different view about how short-term letting should and should not be regulated in NSW.
After a Parliamentary Committee failed to come up with a politically acceptable compromise, it has issued an Options Paper. It has asked the stakeholders, the general public and the industry to let it know what it should do.
The NSW Government puts forward four options:
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Self Regulation: where the industry / operators adhere to a Code of Conduct, which includes complaints management, education and ongoing monitoring and reporting.
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Special Rules for Strata Properties: where owners corporations cannot ban short-term letting, but are allowed to make by-laws to make owners liable for breaches by their tenants, to streamline enforcement, to levy extra and to strengthen the powers of the Tribunal.
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Regulation through the Planning System: The Government would like to lay down clear planning guidelines for Local Councils, as it sees them as the best gatekeepers.
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Registration or Licensing: This is seen a lighter touch than regulation through the Planning System.
This will not be a quick process. In the meantime, the fast growing industry will continue to grow in a legal grey area.
For more information on the NSW Government Policy