The 180-Day Cap: Why Sydney and the Shoalhaven Play by Different Rules

If you host a short-stay property in NSW, you've probably heard of the 180-day cap. What catches a lot of hosts out is that it doesn't apply everywhere, and the difference matters a great deal depending on whether your property is in Sydney or somewhere like the Shoalhaven.

What the 180-day cap actually is

Under the NSW STRA framework, non-hosted short-term rentals, meaning the whole property is let with no host present, are capped at 180 days per 12-month registration period in Greater Sydney. The count resets from your registration anniversary, not the calendar year, and stays of 21 or more consecutive nights are excluded from the count entirely. Hosted STRA, where you're on-site during the stay, has no cap anywhere in the state.

Why Sydney hosts need to plan around it

For a non-hosted Sydney property, 180 days is just under half the year. Hosts typically manage this by mixing shorter stays with occasional longer bookings (21+ nights), which don't count against the limit, or by considering hosted arrangements for part of the year. Going over the cap risks penalties and listing removal, so it's worth tracking occupancy against your registration date rather than assuming a calendar year reset.

Why the Shoalhaven is different

Shoalhaven sits outside Greater Sydney and outside every other area the state has named for the cap, such as Byron Shire. Shoalhaven Council's own guidance confirms there is no local or state-imposed night cap for STRA properties there, hosted or non-hosted. A Shoalhaven holiday house can operate 365 days a year, provided it's registered, meets fire safety standards and follows the Code of Conduct.

What's the same in both regions

• Registration on the NSW STRA Register is mandatory, with a $65 initial fee and $25 annual renewal
• Fire safety standards must be confirmed at registration
• A single booking can't run longer than 3 months without becoming a tenancy
• Strata by-laws can still restrict short-term letting in a unit, regardless of the state cap

What this means in practice

A Sydney apartment and a Shoalhaven holiday house face genuinely different realities under the same statewide registration system. Sydney hosts need an occupancy strategy that respects the 180-day limit, while Shoalhaven hosts can plan around demand and seasonality without a day-count ceiling. This is general information, not legal advice, so confirm specifics for your property with the NSW Planning STRA page or your local council.

180-day cap FAQs

Does the cap apply to hosted stays in Sydney?

No. Hosted STRA, where the host is present, has no day cap anywhere in NSW.

Do long bookings count toward the 180-day cap?

Bookings of 21 or more consecutive nights are excluded from the count.

Is there any cap at all in the Shoalhaven?

No state or council night cap applies to Shoalhaven STRA properties under the current framework.

Running turnovers across both regions? See our Airbnb and holiday rental cleaning covering Sydney and the Shoalhaven, or check your suburb.