Outlines the legal status of Airbnb and Uber operations in NSW, and contains an overview of each platform and current usage in Sydney, and where applicable, more broadly in NSW.

Introduction
The way in which people consume goods and services has changed dramatically since the birth of web and app-based sharing platforms. By connecting demand and share capacity in real-time, they act like “virtual matchmakers” by lowering transaction costs and facilitating arrangements that might otherwise have been too burdensome.

Airbnb and Uber are two platforms that have made their way to NSW in recent years, gathering considerable momentum with consumers. Their expansion has not come without detractors, most notably the long-established taxi and hotel industries.

Their regulation has consequently become an emerging policy concern, coming to the fore at the State level when Opposition Leader Luke Foley advocated the need for regulation of ride- sharing platforms such as Uber.