Real estate agents relying on street poles, bike racks, and trees to store property keys across Sydney’s CBD and inner suburbs will soon be forced to change how they manage viewings and rental handovers.
The City of Sydney has officially announced plans to strip public infrastructure of unauthorised lockboxes, setting a final compliance deadline of 1 April 2027 before council workers begin cutting them down and impounding them.
The policy shift targets key storage devices attached to community assets such as street signs, fences, tree guards, and lighting posts.
While agents and short-term rental hosts have long used public streetscapes for fast key exchanges, council officials said the growing number of lockboxes is creating safety hazards, damaging public property, and cluttering streetscapes.
Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore AO said the devices were becoming an increasing problem across the municipality.
“Lockboxes on our infrastructure are unsightly and can create safety risks like trip hazards or obstruction. 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,” she said.
“These amenities are there for everyone to use, not as part of a business operation for individuals. There are several alternatives lockbox owners can use.”
Although the formal removal program will not commence until April 2027, Ms Moore emphasised that council is giving property professionals ample lead time to transition to alternative key management methods.
“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. 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,” Ms Moore said.
Under the new framework, council officers will retain the authority to remove any lockbox immediately if it presents an urgent safety risk, blocks high-traffic access, or damages sensitive assets.
Once the broader removal scheme begins, any impounded devices will be held for 28 days for owners to claim before being permanently disposed of.
To remain compliant, agencies and property managers operating within the City of Sydney will need to shift to secure private installations or commercial solutions.
Council has suggested several compliant alternatives, including mounting lockboxes directly onto private property with strata approval, installing digital keypad or smart lock systems, utilising local concierge and key management services, or returning to traditional in-person key handovers.
The City of Sydney plans to roll out a dedicated notification and education program over the coming months to ensure local real estate businesses and property owners are fully prepared for the enforcement date.