Sydney Council bans lockboxes from public property in Airbnb crackdown

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.MORE: ‘Policy spiral’: How rental laws could hurt housing supplyLockboxes are often used to hold spare keys or for guests to find a key for an Airbnb. Picture: City of SydneyMORE: Alarming truth about kids growing up in rentals“We’re cutting you off, and by you, we mean lockboxes,” the pair said.“With the growth of AirBnBs, lockboxes like this are littere...