Booking platforms are businesses that provide online accommodation booking services for short-term rental accommodation.
Booking platforms have an important role in helping their customers comply with the Code of Conduct for the Short-term Rental Accommodation Industry.
Information about the Code of Conduct
Booking platforms must inform customers about the Code of Conduct and a copy must be readily available on the platform’s website.
Notice of complaints and disputes
To help resolve disputes and issues arising with customers, a booking platform must notify the guest or the host of a complaint or dispute that relates to them as soon as possible after the platform is made aware.
The platform must take reasonable steps to ensure everyone is aware of how to lodge a NSW Fair Trading complaint about a guest, host, or premises.
Read more about Short-term Rental Accommodation complaints.
Premises register
From 1 November 2021, booking platforms must not advertise premises on its platform unless it is registered on the STRA premises register with its registration number displayed along with the other details of the premises.
Hosts must register certain premises on the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s STRA premises register. There are fees associated with registration.
More information about these requirements is available on the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s website.
Exclusion Register
Booking platforms must not advertise, facilitate or offer accommodation if a host or premises are listed on the Exclusion Register.
The platform must ensure a guest who is listed on the Exclusion Register can't use its services to book accommodation.
If the platform is made aware a guest, host, or premises has been recorded on the Exclusion Register as a result of a booking made on its platform, it must notify, as soon as possible, the relevant guest or host of the listing.
The public exclusion register on the NSW Fair Trading website can be used to check whether individual hosts or guests are excluded for the STRA arrangements you are involved in.
Read more about the Exclusion Register, including accessing information on the public exclusion register.
Subscribe to updates on changes to the exclusion register
To help booking platforms comply with their requirements when dealing with a larger volume of short-term rental arrangements, NSW Fair Trading will provide updates when changes are made to the exclusion register. These updates will be sent to nominated booking platform users when their booking platform enters into an agreement with NSW Fair Trading to receive the updates.
Record-keeping
Booking platforms must keep records of each transaction that is entered into using its online services for 3 years.
General obligations
The Code of Conduct imposes some general obligations that apply to all industry participants, including booking platforms.
Act honestly and in good faith
All participants must act honestly and in good faith as part of any short-term rental accommodation arrangement.
Participants must act honestly and in good faith in relation to any dealing, complaint or dispute that arises about a short-term rental accommodation arrangement.
Cooperation with NSW Fair Trading
All participants must cooperate with NSW Fair Trading in its enforcement and administration of the Code of Conduct.
This includes complying with directions issued by Fair Trading and with requests for information relating to their activities as an industry participant or under the Code.
The information collected by Fair Trading will be used to enforce the Code and to monitor, evaluate and inform further development of the regulatory framework.
Identity of participants excluded from the industry
Industry participants must not knowingly misrepresent the identity of any person or premises to avoid a provision of the Code because the person or premises is recorded on the Exclusion Register.
Read more about the Exclusion Register.