NSW to regulate Airbnb but promises greater powers for strata bodies

The New South Wales government looks set to allow home owners to rent out spare rooms and entire homes using Airbnb and similar sites but has committed to giving strata corporations greater powers to deal with problems in apartment blocks. The state government on Wednesday released its long-awaited response to last year's parliamentary inquiry into short-term holiday letting, offering "qualified support" to changes that would see the industry regulated in NSW for the first time. It has offered early support for exemptions from planning and development restrictions that would allow the short-term letting of spare rooms and empty properties that do not exceed undefined "impact thresholds". The government will now release a paper canvassing options for regulating the booming sector, prompting a fresh round of consultation. The NSW government has, however, made a firm commitment to give strata corporations greater powers to deal with "adverse behaviour" from properties being used as party houses.