Cape Town STR New By Law

undefined • September 22, 2026

An NB Update for netProperty owners RE Cape Town short-term rentals.

Short-Term Rentals: New By-law
An important Cape Town short-term rental update for Netproperty owners.
Newsletter by Net Property - Cape Town owner update
Cape Town regulatory update

Short-Term Rentals:
New By-law

What property owners need to know—and why there is no need to panic.

Dear Property Owner,

Many owners have contacted me with concerns about the City of Cape Town's proposed approach to short-term rentals, particularly the possibility of qualifying properties being charged at the business and commercial municipal rate. This could cause the rates account on an affected property to more than double.
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Please be assured: this is not yet the end of the process.
The proposal must still proceed through public participation and further municipal processes before its practical application is settled. This is why a coordinated, evidence-based response from our industry and property owners matters now.
1

The City of Cape Town proposal

The proposed framework is aimed at identifying residential properties used for commercial-scale short-term letting and applying the relevant business and commercial rating category. Netproperty and SASTRA are engaging with the City and other stakeholders to ensure that the realities of responsible short-term rental ownership are properly considered.

A further industry meeting is scheduled for later this week. Once the process and key points have been confirmed, I will send you a practical submission guide, a draft response that you can personalise, the City's online commenting link and the correct email address for written submissions.
Public comment closes
5 October 2026
 Our follow-up guide
will be sent later this week.
2

National progress through SASTRA

I am personally involved with SASTRA—the South African Short-Term Rental Association. SASTRA has engaged constructively with the National Department of Tourism on the future regulation of our industry.

The original concerns surrounding the 2024 Tourism White Paper have since moved into a more focused policy process. The latest national proposal is a Draft Code of Good Practice for Short-Term Rentals, rather than the broad and restrictive measures many operators initially feared. Industry participation helped ensure that practical realities, responsible hosting and the economic value of STRs formed part of the discussion.

This engagement has also established a more constructive working relationship with the Department of Tourism. It demonstrates that organised participation can influence policy—and gives us a valuable foundation for the current engagement with the City of Cape Town.

What happens next?

 Later this week: industry engagement with the City continues.
After the meeting: I will distribute the recommended points, editable draft and verified submission details.
Before 5 October: owners will be encouraged to personalise and submit their own comments directly to the City.
View the proposed City by-law →
The formal commenting guide and submission details will follow separately.

I will continue monitoring developments closely and will keep you informed as verified information becomes available.

Kind regards,
Koos Spangenberg
Principal Agent | Netproperty (Pty) Ltd
Sales • Rentals • Airbnb Management

NETPROPERTY
[[INSERT EMAIL]]  •  [[INSERT PHONE NUMBER]]  •  Cape Town
This update is intended for Netproperty property owners and clients. Information is provided for general guidance and may change as the public-participation process develops.

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