Airbnb and short-stay rules in Sydney

1. Register before you advertise

Every short-term rental in NSW must be registered on the Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) Register on the NSW Planning Portal before it is advertised, whether or not you live there. Registration costs $65 for the first year and $25 a year to renew. Renewal opens 45 days before expiry.

You get a property ID (PID-STRA-…) that must appear on every listing. If a renewal is missed, platforms block new bookings and the property is later deregistered. Unregistered letting can bring fines.

2. The 180-night cap for non-hosted homes

Type	Meaning	Night limit in Greater Sydney
Hosted	You live in the home while guests stay	No cap
Non-hosted	Whole home, you are not living there	180 nights a year

How it is counted:

• The year runs from your registration date, not 1 January.
• Nights booked on every platform are added together.
• Nights you block for your own use don't count.
• Stays of 21 consecutive nights or more don't count towards the 180, although the property must still be registered and compliant.
• Homes with a development consent for short-term letting follow that consent instead of the cap.

Most Sydney owners we work with use a mix: short stays during peak demand, and 21-night-plus corporate, relocation and medical stays the rest of the year. That keeps the property earning after the 180 nights are used.

3. Fire safety standard

Since 1 March 2022 every NSW short-term rental must meet the STRA fire safety standard. You confirm it yourself when you register, but it can be checked.

• Interconnected smoke alarms in bedrooms, hallways and on every level, either mains-powered or with sealed 10-year batteries.
• An evacuation diagram at the entrance and in each bedroom.
• For apartments: a front door that opens from inside without a key, a 2.5 kg ABE fire extinguisher and a fire blanket in the kitchen.

4. The Code of Conduct and exclusion register

Hosts and guests must follow the NSW STRA Code of Conduct. As the host you need to:

• hold public liability insurance that covers guest injury or death for the whole stay
• be contactable during the stay and give guests emergency contacts
• tell the owners corporation and neighbours that the property is a short-term rental.

NSW Fair Trading can put a host or guest on the exclusion register after two serious breaches in two years. Platforms then can't list them for five years. Good guest screening and 24/7 support are what keep a property off that register.

5. Strata: your building can ban non-hosted short stays

This is the biggest difference from Queensland. An NSW owners corporation can pass a by-law by special resolution banning short-term rental in lots that are not the host's principal place of residence. In other words, many apartment buildings can ban whole-apartment Airbnb, but not hosted letting.

Many buildings also have by-laws requiring notice before you start or limiting guests to two adults per bedroom. Always check the registered by-laws first. We do this before taking on any Sydney apartment.

6. Where the rules may be heading

The NSW Government has been reviewing the STRA framework since 2024. A short-stay levy and tighter caps have been discussed, but as of November 2026 no levy has been announced and the 180-night cap has not changed.

In April 2026 the City of Sydney voted to investigate whether a time-limited ban on non-primary-residence short stays in suburbs with very low rental vacancy (such as Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Potts Point, Pyrmont and Chippendale) would be possible under NSW law. This is a request for advice, not a rule. Any ban would need the state planning framework to allow it. We track these changes for our owners.

7. Tax

Short-stay income is taxable, and since 1 July 2024 booking platforms report host income to the ATO. Expenses such as management fees, cleaning, strata levies and depreciation are generally deductible. Check your own position with your accountant.

Common questions

Do I need to register my Airbnb in Sydney?

Yes. Every short-term rental in NSW must be on the STRA Register on the NSW Planning Portal before it is advertised. It costs $65 for the first year and $25 a year to renew, and the property ID must appear on every listing.

How does the 180-night cap work in Sydney?

If you don't live in the property during stays (non-hosted), it can be let short-term for up to 180 nights a year in Greater Sydney. The year runs from your registration date and all platforms are counted together. Stays of 21 consecutive nights or more don't count towards the cap. Hosted letting has no cap.

Can my strata ban Airbnb in Sydney?

Yes, for non-hosted letting. An NSW owners corporation can pass a by-law by special resolution banning short-term rental in lots that are not the host's principal place of residence. It can't ban hosted letting in your own home.

What happens after I reach 180 nights?

You can't take more non-hosted short stays until the registration year resets. You can still take bookings of 21 nights or more, or let the property on a mid-term or long-term basis. We plan the calendar so the property keeps earning.

Is the City of Sydney banning Airbnb?

Not at this stage. In April 2026 the City of Sydney asked its CEO to investigate whether time-limited bans on non-primary-residence short stays would be feasible in low-vacancy suburbs. The NSW 180-night cap is the rule that currently applies.

Own in Queensland too? Read the Brisbane short-stay rules. Local guides: Potts Point & Elizabeth Bay, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Bondi Beach, Mosman & Cremorne, Sydney CBD.

Last checked: 9 November 2026. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so confirm the details for your own property with the council, your body corporate or strata manager, and your accountant.