Is your Airbnb Holiday accommodation compliant with current Fire Safety Standards rules?
From November 1st 2021, new rules will apply to all STRAs regarding fire safety standards.
The NSW government has implemented new regulations for all STRAs, including Airbnb. Whether hosted (where you live on the same property or in the same building) or non-hosted (offsite), these new standards will apply, and property owners must comply with them.
NSW legislation now requires all Airbnb hosts to provide evacuation diagrams within their short-term rental accommodation. iDeal Photography can measure and create these as part of our photography service or standalone.
The new STRA planning policy framework includes the STRA fire safety standards. The government has revised these standards following feedback received regarding the current provisions. These new standards have considered the requirement for higher safety provisions without creating a cost-prohibitive solution.
The framework seeks to ensure communities continue to benefit from the economic advantages of tourism through Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) whilst mitigating the risk to visitors through the adverse impact that could present from the unfamiliarity of a property.
Not only will property owners need to comply with these new standards they will also need to register their property on the Government-run STRA register to confirm their compliance with the new fire safety standards. This STRA register will be connected to booking platforms to allow monitoring of the number of days a property is used for STRA.
What do you need to provide:
Evacuation plan
Diagram including connected smoke alarms
Information sheet for guests with general emergency advice e.g.
What does a total fire ban mean and what you can and can’t do on these days?
what do different fire warning levels mean?
information on emergency service broadcasts and contacts.
What do you need to do:
Ensure you have the above in place prior to November 1st 2021.
Register your property on the STRA register
Encourage guests to download appropriate emergency apps to ensure they are getting up-to-date information on potential risks in the area. E.g., the “emergency+” app.
Example Plan here
An example Airbnb fire plan evacuation diagram, and Fire Safety Standards for Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) providers.
Fire Evacuation plans for Airbnb properties across the Central Coast of NSW. Protect your family and guests with evacuation diagrams! Central Coast short-term rental hosts - These diagrams must comply with section 4.2 of the Fire Safety Standard and must be placed at the entrance to the property as well as in every bedroom.