The housing crisis in NSW is exacerbated by many unfair policy and taxation settings – and the generous playing field given to whole-home holiday accommodation conversions is no exception. When long-term rental vacancy rates are as tight as they have been, the public starts to demand solutions to ensure homes are actually being used as homes.

We had some thoughts on this housing conundrum which we aired at the Independent Planning Commission’s Public Hearing in February last year on the Byron Bay case. You can read more about the Byron Shire outcome here.

Ever since, we at Shelter have been patiently waiting for the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure to release its official policy response to the Independent Planning Commission’s Final Advice Report on the state of play of “short-term rental accommodation” regulation in NSW. Word on the street is that exhibition of key reforms to “short-term rental accommodation” is likely to begin in February.