Airbnb hosts who put up lockboxes across public areas as a way to store keys to their property have been put on notice amid a crackdown on the short-term rental sector.
Sydney Council has announced plans to cut all lockboxes from public infrastructure, which includes lockboxes attached to poles, street signs, fences and railings, trees and other community assets.
Council signalled it was making the move to curb Airbnb landlords from damaging council property, with all lockboxes on public property set to be removed from April 1.
It comes amid growing calls to ban short-term rental accommodation (STRA), which city councillors claim lock away potential rental properties.
In an Instagram post from Greens city councillors Matthew Thompson and Sylvie Ellsmore, they claimed they were using all the tools they have to tackle the housing crisis.
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Lockboxes are often used to hold spare keys or for guests to find a key for an Airbnb. Picture: City of Sydney
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“We’re cutting you off, and by you, we mean lockboxes,” the pair said.
“With the growth of AirBnBs, lockboxes like this are littered all around the inner city.
“From April next year, we’ll be getting the bolt cutter and removing any lockbox attached to public infrastructure in the City of Sydney.
The Council website explains the lockboxes create trip hazards, interfere with maintenance and damage public assets like trees and fences.
Cr Thompson and Cr Ellsmore said in the video that they’re trying to show STRA investors that they aren’t welcome in the city because “every house should be a home” in a housing crisis.
“Airbnb used to be about helping people share their homes but over the years it’s been dominated by investors ripping thousands of rentals away because the rules help people make more money this way,” Cr Ellsmore said.
Sydney Greens Councillors Matthew Thompson (L) and Sylvie Ellsmore (R) announced lockboxes would be cut. Picture: Instagram
Reactions online highlight community support as well as some confusion about what happens for people who use lockboxes for spare keys to their private rentals.
“But what about people like me who put spare keys in a lockbox because I live alone and I frequently forget my keys,” one user commented.
“Yes!!!! I was literally walking down George Street today thinking to myself that it’s getting ridiculously out of hand!!!,” another said.
Other users highlight broader issues: “What we really need is national leadership … to make AirBnBs less attractive for investors. Make having an Airbnb a financial drain.”
The Sydney council area already has a cap on how many days an STRA can be rented if the host doesn’t live in the property.
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Sydney’s Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Miller said it’s difficult to distinguish if a property is a primary residence but she has an issue with STRAs being managed like a business. Picture: Christian Gilles
The council is now also considering a ban on STRAs in areas with a high concentration or where rental vacancy levels fall below 3 per cent.
Sydney’s Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Miller has previously spoken on the issue saying nothing was stopping investors from exploiting loopholes and effectively rezoning an area to commercial use.
“The mythology of the solution to the problem is more supply is completely eroded when you look at what the supply that we have is actually being used for,” Cr Miller said.
“The government needs to be able to provide us a database that is completely transparent, that identifies properties, their ownership status, their use status, the nights that they are being rented out on and the revenue being generated,” she said.
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Executive director of Business Sydney, Paul Nicolau said the proposed changes to STRAs would negatively impact the economy. Picture Thomas Lisson
Executive director of Business Sydney, Paul Nicolau represents local owners and said in a Daily Telegraph opinion piece that restricting STRA will negatively impact the local economy.
“Curbing Sydney’s short term rental accommodation sector to solve homelessness is a ‘lose-lose-lose’ proposition for Sydney,” Mr Nicolau wrote.
“The visitor economy would suffer, jobs would be lost and more people would be caught up in the homelessness crisis.
“The solution to the housing crisis is to be found elsewhere.
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Operators of STRAs often use platforms like Airbnb and rent out their homes for a high profit. Photo: iStock
“We have to ‘build, build, build’ — more build-to-rent developments, more social housing and more affordable housing, especially for essential workers who can’t afford to live near where they work,” he said.
Owners will have up to 28 days to claim their lockboxes. They will have a chance to collect them if they can prove ownership with things like the code or a photo.
