New Sydney ban to impact Airbnbs: 'Unsightly'

By NICHOLAS COMINO, POLITICAL REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 07:23, 25 August 2026 | Updated: 07:23, 25 August 2026 Lord Mayor Clover Moore has declared war on 'unsightly' lockboxes with her council to roll out a ban on the devices.   The City of Sydney has announced plans to remove lockboxes attached to public infrastructure, giving owners until April 1, 2027 to take them down before a formal removal program begins. The move targets the small key safes favoured by Airbnb hosts, landlords and property managers to hand over keys without meeting tenants or guests in person. Under the new policy, lockboxes will no longer be allowed on public assets such as poles, signs, fences, trees, tree guards and bike racks. The council says the boxes pose safety risks, interfere with maintenance work and can damage public infrastructure. Moore said lockboxes had become an increasing problem across the local government area. 'Lockboxes on our infrastructure are unsightly and can create safety risks like trip hazards or obstruction,' she said. 'They can interfere with our ability to maintain City of Sydney assets and they can damage the things they are chained to. We've even had an instance of one being drilled into a street tree.' Lockboxes are set to be banned from the City of Sydney starting from April 1, 2027 (file) The policy follows a council resolution earlier this year to tackle the rising number of lockboxes attached to public assets. The City of Sydney said the long lead-in to next April gives owners time to make other arrangements. 'We are putting people on notice that the base of a tree or a metal bike stand is not an appropriate place for a lockbox,' Moore said. 'By not commencing the scheme for over six months, we are giving owners enough time to make different arrangements before we begin our removal program.' Lockboxes collected by council officers will be stored for 28 days, giving owners the chance to collect them before they are disposed of. The council will also run a notification and education campaign ahead of the implementation date to boost awareness and encourage compliance. While the main removal program starts in April 2027, the City of Sydney said lockboxes posing an immediate safety risk, creating an obstruction or blocking access to high-use or sensitive infrastructure may still be removed as soon as they are found. Council has outlined alternatives for property owners who rely on lockboxes chained to public infrastructure. Lord Mayor Clover Moore (pictured) said lockboxes 'can create safety risks' such as tripping These options include installing lockboxes on private property, arranging key handovers in person, using a concierge or professional key management services, or moving to digital access technology like smart locks and keypad entry systems. The City of Sydney said public infrastructure is for community use and should not be co-opted for private business. The change is expected to impact landlords, property managers and short-term accommodation providers who've relied on lockboxes on public assets to provide access to rental homes. The announcement comes amid new scrutiny of Sydney's short-term rental market. In April, the City of Sydney voted to explore measures including a possible ban on providers like Airbnb and Stayz, citing ongoing concern over holiday rentals' impact on housing supply. Homelessness NSW is lobbying for stronger regulation, including a proposed 7.5 per cent levy on short-term rental properties. At state level, the NSW Government is finalising its long-awaited review of short-term rental accommodation laws, due to be released later this year.