Illegal Sydney backpacker slum ordered to shut

A historic Sydney home being used as an illegal and squalid backpacker hostel has been given 17 days to stop operating as an overcrowded boarding house.

The NSW Department of Environment and Heritage issued an order to cease using the property for accommodation on July 1, The Daily Telegraph reports.

The home is one of many illegal Sydney dwellings aimed at gouging backpackers and foreign students.

Two recent fires at extremely overcrowded boarding homes have exposed a network of illegal rental properties.

Officials at Sydney Council said they are frustrated that a search warrant is required to inspect illegal hostels.

"To obtain a search warrant, councils must have reasonable grounds to believe a breach of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act is occurring," a Sydney Council spokeswoman said.

"This can be difficult to show if council officers have been refused access as their ability to gather evidence is compromised and evidence of illegal use may be removed before an inspection."

It is understood that the council has not yet obtained permission to inspect two other Sydney properties suspected of operating as illegal hostels.

Source: The Daily Telegraph

Author: Martin Zavan, Approving editor: Simon Black