Short Stay Rules: Australian short-stay rule changes

City of Hobart: Public exhibition of draft amendment PSA-25-3 closed. The 28-day exhibition ran from 19 June 2026 to 16 July 2

2026-07-16

Public exhibition of draft amendment PSA-25-3 closed. The 28-day exhibition ran from 19 June 2026 to 16 July 2026 inclusive. Representations now go to the Tasmanian Planning Commission for assessment. The amendment is not in force and does not affect existing permits or current applications.

Shire of Augusta-Margaret River: CORRECTED DATE (was 2026-01-01): proposal under discussion, to potentially take effect from the start of the 2

2026-07-01

CORRECTED DATE (was 2026-01-01): proposal under discussion, to potentially take effect from the start of the 2026-27 rating year (1 July 2026), to expand the Commercial, Industrial and Tourism differential rate category to include hosted STRA properties (currently rated Residential since the 2024 reforms), using the state STRA Register to identify them. Confirmed via direct fetch of the Shire's rates FAQ page that this is described as a proposal under consideration, not confirmed as adopted at time of writing.

Noosa Shire Council: Council's 2026/27 fees and charges took effect, setting the current Local Law application and annual renewal f

2026-07-01

Council's 2026/27 fees and charges took effect, setting the current Local Law application and annual renewal fee schedule for short stay letting and home hosted accommodation (e.g. house application $1,748 standard / $329 principal residence; house renewal $800 / $200).

City of Hobart: City of Hobart, acting as the Planning Authority Committee, unanimously resolved that draft amendment PSA-25-3

2026-06-10

City of Hobart, acting as the Planning Authority Committee, unanimously resolved that draft amendment PSA-25-3, to insert HOB-S11.0 Hobart Visitor Accommodation Specific Area Plan into the Hobart Local Provisions Schedule, be certified and exhibited under the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993. CONFIRMED directly on the council's Current Planning Scheme amendments page on 25 July 2026. The plan would allow visitor accommodation in the General Residential, Inner Residential and Low Density Residential zones only where the operator lives on site, with no performance criteria and therefore no discretionary fallback.

Tasmania: Short Stay Levy Bill 2026 received its first reading in the Legislative Council. RECONFIRMED 24/07/2026 by dir

2026-05-15

Short Stay Levy Bill 2026 received its first reading in the Legislative Council. RECONFIRMED 24/07/2026 by directly opening the parliament.tas.gov.au bill-status page in a browser: this remains the last recorded stage, with all subsequent Legislative Council stages and Royal Assent still blank, meaning the Bill has not yet passed into law.

Brisbane (City of Brisbane LGA / Brisbane City Council): Council announced that the proposed Short Stay Accommodation Local Law 2025 (which would have required a counc

2026-05-12

Council announced that the proposed Short Stay Accommodation Local Law 2025 (which would have required a council permit for short-stay letting) is 'not proceeding at this time', citing eased short-stay growth, improved host/property management, and non-tourism uses of short-term lets (DV survivors, insurance claimants, hospital patients). NOTE: this date and the commonly-reported Lord Mayoral personal attribution are NOT stated on the cited council status page and were not independently corroborated in this verification pass, flagged as unconfirmed pending a dated primary source (council media release or reputable news report).

City of Busselton: Scheme Amendment No. 61 to Local Planning Scheme No. 21 gazetted (Minister approved 4 May 2026): unhosted STRA

2026-05-12

Scheme Amendment No. 61 to Local Planning Scheme No. 21 gazetted (Minister approved 4 May 2026): unhosted STRA became an 'X' (prohibited) use in all zones by default, with new Additional Use 'A87' permitting it (as an 'A' use, application may be considered) only outside mapped 'non-preferred areas'. This converted what had been a policy preference (LPP 4.1, June 2025) into a binding statutory zoning prohibition in non-preferred areas.

Queensland: Brisbane City Council formally withdrew ('not proceeding at this time') its Proposed Short Stay Accommodation

2026-05-12

Brisbane City Council formally withdrew ('not proceeding at this time') its Proposed Short Stay Accommodation Local Law 2025, which would have introduced a permit requirement from 1 July 2026. No permit is currently required to operate a short-term rental in Brisbane. Date corroborated by multiple independent 2026 secondary sources (Hometime, Lane Property) though not visible in the text extracted directly from the Brisbane City Council page itself in this session.

City of Hobart: Short Stay Levy Bill 2026 (5% levy on bookings under 28 nights) passed the House of Assembly and moved to the

2026-05-07

Short Stay Levy Bill 2026 (5% levy on bookings under 28 nights) passed the House of Assembly and moved to the Legislative Council; as of 24 July 2026 it had not received Royal Assent or a proclaimed commencement date. CONFIRMED directly against the bill's official progress table both passes.

Tasmania: Short Stay Levy Bill 2026 passed the House of Assembly (second and third reading, with amendment).

2026-05-07

Short Stay Levy Bill 2026 passed the House of Assembly (second and third reading, with amendment).

City of Hobart: City of Hobart council voted 6-5 to raise the visitor accommodation change-of-use planning permit application

2026-04-28

City of Hobart council voted 6-5 to raise the visitor accommodation change-of-use planning permit application fee from $435 to $5,000 for discretionary applications, effective with the 2026-27 schedule from 1 July 2026. The $5,000 discretionary fee and the $250 permitted fee are CONFIRMED verbatim in the adopted 2026-27 Fees and Charges booklet, read directly on 25 July 2026. The vote count and the prior $435 figure remain news-sourced.

Tasmania: Short Stay Levy Bill 2026 had its first reading (tabled) in the Tasmanian House of Assembly.

2026-04-16

Short Stay Levy Bill 2026 had its first reading (tabled) in the Tasmanian House of Assembly.

Perth Metropolitan Area: Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Amendment (Short-Term Rental Accommodation) Regulations 2024

2026-01-01

Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Amendment (Short-Term Rental Accommodation) Regulations 2024 take effect: unhosted STRA in the 30 Perth-metro LGAs exceeding 90 nights/12 months now requires local council development approval. Commencement date confirmed via a WA Government media statement dated 24 August 2025 stating operators must have lodged a development application 'from 1 January 2026'.

Western Australia: Register-side enforcement of the Perth-metro planning rule began. From this date an STRA property must demonst

2026-01-01

Register-side enforcement of the Perth-metro planning rule began. From this date an STRA property must demonstrate it meets development approval requirements to remain on the STRA Register, and metropolitan unhosted STRA operating beyond 90 nights a year had to have lodged a development application. The 90-night planning trigger itself commenced earlier, in September 2024.

Tasmania: Treasury opened public consultation on the draft Short Stay Levy Bill 2025 (5% levy proposal), consultation cl

2025-12-01

Treasury opened public consultation on the draft Short Stay Levy Bill 2025 (5% levy proposal), consultation closed 25 February 2026.

Noosa Shire Council: Noosa Plan 2020 Amendment No. 2 took effect, reclassifying frequent/ongoing whole-dwelling short-term letting

2025-09-26

Noosa Plan 2020 Amendment No. 2 took effect, reclassifying frequent/ongoing whole-dwelling short-term letting beyond 4 occasions/60 nights a year as an 'inconsistent' use (impact assessable) in Low/Medium/High Density Residential and Rural/Rural Residential zones, while keeping it code-assessable in the Tourist Accommodation zone, and stating the change is not retrospective.

Adelaide (City of Adelaide): SA Legislative Council Select Committee on the Short Stay Accommodation Sector tabled its final report (13 fin

2025-09-16

SA Legislative Council Select Committee on the Short Stay Accommodation Sector tabled its final report (13 findings, 7 recommendations after 40 witnesses), recommending a state-wide short-stay accommodation register, code of conduct, minimum safety standards, and fees/levies on short-stay owners. Not yet legislated or actioned by government as at 24 July 2026.

Sunshine Coast Council: Council opened public consultation on a new Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme that would, for the first time, int

2025-07-15

Council opened public consultation on a new Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme that would, for the first time, introduce a dedicated Short-Term Accommodation Code: formal hosted/non-hosted definitions ('occasional principal place of residence letting' capped at 60 nights/4 occurrences per year and exempt from approval, 'home-hosted accommodation', and 'non-hosted holiday house'), a continuous 24-hour management/complaints-response requirement, reclassification of non-hosted holiday houses in the Rural Zone from impact to code assessable, and an LGA-wide opt-in to the Planning Act 2016 party house restriction provisions. As of 24 July 2026 the scheme is still unadopted and remains subject to change. Verified directly against council's Short-term Accommodation Information Sheet.

Australian Capital Territory: Short-Term Rental Accommodation Levy Act 2025 commenced: introduced a 5% levy on eligible short-term rental bo

2025-07-01

Short-Term Rental Accommodation Levy Act 2025 commenced: introduced a 5% levy on eligible short-term rental bookings (<=28 nights) made through booking service providers; hosted stays and direct bookings excluded.

Canberra: ACT Short-Term Rental Accommodation Levy commences: 5% of total booking amount on bookings of 28 nights or les

2025-07-01

ACT Short-Term Rental Accommodation Levy commences: 5% of total booking amount on bookings of 28 nights or less made through a booking service provider; hosted stays and direct bookings exempt. Confirmed directly against primary source.

City of Busselton: Council adopted the current Local Planning Policy 4.1: Unhosted Short-Term Rental Accommodation, introducing n

2025-06-11

Council adopted the current Local Planning Policy 4.1: Unhosted Short-Term Rental Accommodation, introducing non-preferred areas, mandatory Operational Management Plans, Bushfire Emergency Plan requirements in bushfire-prone areas, time-limited approvals (12 months, then 3-year, then 5-year renewals), and mandatory public consultation on applications.

South Australia: SA Legislative Council Select Committee on the Short Stay Accommodation Sector (established on a motion moved

2025-03-05

SA Legislative Council Select Committee on the Short Stay Accommodation Sector (established on a motion moved by Hon Robert Simms MLC, 27 November 2024) opens submissions, examining potential state-wide registration, night thresholds, levies and planning-code changes. The committee subsequently concluded its inquiry and, per SA media reporting not yet independently primary-source-confirmed, tabled its final report on 16 September 2025 (13 findings, 7 recommendations including a registration scheme, levy, code of conduct and mandatory data-sharing). No resulting legislation has been found introduced or enacted as of 24 July 2026, see 'other' rule and unresolved_flags.

City of Busselton: Cut-off date referenced for legacy holiday-home development approvals: most approvals granted before this date

2025-01-29

Cut-off date referenced for legacy holiday-home development approvals: most approvals granted before this date were not time-limited and retain non-conforming-use rights (subject to continued STRA Register registration and no gap in operation exceeding 6 months), even where the land is now in a non-preferred area.

Shire of Augusta-Margaret River: WA state Short-Term Rental Accommodation Register became mandatory for all STRA (hosted and unhosted) in the S

2025-01-01

WA state Short-Term Rental Accommodation Register became mandatory for all STRA (hosted and unhosted) in the Shire, layered on top of the Shire's own planning-approval process for unhosted Holiday Houses. Date and scope confirmed verbatim.

City of Melbourne: Victoria's state-wide Short Stay Levy (7.5% of booking amount, PPR exempt) commenced under the Short Stay Levy

2025-01-01

Victoria's state-wide Short Stay Levy (7.5% of booking amount, PPR exempt) commenced under the Short Stay Levy Act 2024, applying uniformly across the City of Melbourne.

City of Melbourne: Owners Corporations Act 2006 amended (via the Short Stay Levy Act 2024) to let owners corporations ban short-s

2025-01-01

Owners Corporations Act 2006 amended (via the Short Stay Levy Act 2024) to let owners corporations ban short-stay letting by 75% special resolution, excluding a host's principal place of residence, highly relevant to Melbourne's apartment-heavy building stock.

Mornington Peninsula Shire: Victorian Short Stay Levy Act 2024 (7.5% state levy) took effect; the Shire publicly clarified it plays no rol

2025-01-01

Victorian Short Stay Levy Act 2024 (7.5% state levy) took effect; the Shire publicly clarified it plays no role in administering or enforcing the state levy, and that its own local registration requirement continues to apply separately and in parallel.

Perth Metropolitan Area: STRA Register moved from voluntary/soft-launch (opened 1 July 2024) to mandatory registration statewide, inclu

2025-01-01

STRA Register moved from voluntary/soft-launch (opened 1 July 2024) to mandatory registration statewide, including Perth metro; unregistered listings barred from advertising/bookings.

Victoria: Short Stay Levy Act 2024 (Vic) commenced: 7.5% levy on short stays under 28 days, PPR-exempt, platform/direct-

2025-01-01

Short Stay Levy Act 2024 (Vic) commenced: 7.5% levy on short stays under 28 days, PPR-exempt, platform/direct-booking remittance split.

Victoria: Owners Corporations Act 2006 amended (via the Short Stay Levy Act 2024) to allow owners corporations to ban sh

2025-01-01

Owners Corporations Act 2006 amended (via the Short Stay Levy Act 2024) to allow owners corporations to ban short-stay accommodation by 75% special resolution, PPR-exempt.

Western Australia: STRA Register became mandatory statewide (both hosted and unhosted) with $250 initial / $100/yr renewal fees,

2025-01-01

STRA Register became mandatory statewide (both hosted and unhosted) with $250 initial / $100/yr renewal fees, after opening for free voluntary registration from 1 July 2024.

Shire of Augusta-Margaret River: Following the state's Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Amendment (Short-Term Rental Accommoda

2024-10-01

Following the state's Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Amendment (Short-Term Rental Accommodation Regulations) 2024, hosted STRA lost its Shire planning-approval trigger (and reverted to Residential rating), and LPP7's Bed & Breakfast, ancillary-dwelling, and bushfire (GF1-GF3) clauses were marked as superseded by the state amendment; the Shire reissued its PS17 information sheet and application/renewal forms in October 2024 to reflect this alongside the incoming state STRA Register. Confirmed by direct fetch of both PDFs, both dated October 2024.

Canberra: Final ACT Territory Plan 2023 came into effect (replacing the interim Territory Plan), restructuring zone poli

2024-09-27

Final ACT Territory Plan 2023 came into effect (replacing the interim Territory Plan), restructuring zone policies and land-use tables including residential zone treatment of commercial accommodation uses. CONFIRMED via direct primary-source retrieval (24/07/2026): the RZ1-RZ5 Land Use Table does not list "Commercial accommodation use" as a permitted use, meaning it is a prohibited use in those zones per the Table's own governing rule.

Byron Shire: New 60-day non-hosted STRA cap and the two 365-day precinct exemptions (Byron Bay Town Centre, Brunswick Heads

2024-09-23

New 60-day non-hosted STRA cap and the two 365-day precinct exemptions (Byron Bay Town Centre, Brunswick Heads) took effect, replacing the previous 180-day cap; rolling transition applies based on each dwelling's registration/renewal date.

New South Wales: Byron Shire's non-hosted STRA cap reduced from 180 days to 60 days per 365-day period, with a new carve-out of

2024-09-23

Byron Shire's non-hosted STRA cap reduced from 180 days to 60 days per 365-day period, with a new carve-out of 'Excluded Land' (Byron Bay town centre and Brunswick Heads) not subject to any state day cap, via amendment to SEPP (Housing) 2021 s112(1)(c) and the Byron Shire STRA Area Map.

Western Australia: The Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Amendment (Short-Term Rental Accommodation) Regulations

2024-09-19

The Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Amendment (Short-Term Rental Accommodation) Regulations 2024 (SL 2024/194, published 18 September 2024) commenced, inserting STRA into the deemed provisions of every WA local planning scheme: a state-wide development approval exemption for hosted STRA, and a 90-night exemption for unhosted STRA in the 30 Perth-metro local governments.

Greater Sydney (Sydney Metro): Dphi guidance reversed on granny-flat/secondary-dwelling stra, renting a granny flat while the owner lives in

2024-09-01

Dphi guidance reversed on granny-flat/secondary-dwelling stra, renting a granny flat while the owner lives in the main dwelling on the same property is now classified as hosted stra (uncapped, 365 days/year), reversing the department's feb/april 2024 position that such rentals were non-hosted and therefore subject to the 180-day cap. exact change date is approximate (file folder dated sept 2024, internal document text says 'updated may 2024'), treat as directional confirmation of a guidance change rather than a precise date.

City of Melbourne: City of Melbourne councillors voted in principle for a local STR registration fee ($350/yr) and a 180-day non-

2024-08-29

City of Melbourne councillors voted in principle for a local STR registration fee ($350/yr) and a 180-day non-hosted cap; the proposal was subsequently paused by the Future Melbourne Committee pending the state levy and has not been revived as of this record (corroborated via secondary sources only, see review_notes).

Adelaide (City of Adelaide): City of Adelaide began rating properties used/advertised as short-stay accommodation for more than 90 days/yea

2024-07-01

City of Adelaide began rating properties used/advertised as short-stay accommodation for more than 90 days/year as Non-Residential (commercial) rather than Residential.

South Australia: City of Adelaide begins rating dwellings let for short-stay accommodation 90+ days/year as 'Commercial, Other'

2024-07-01

City of Adelaide begins rating dwellings let for short-stay accommodation 90+ days/year as 'Commercial, Other', a rate in the dollar 22.5% higher than the residential category.

Snowy Monaro Regional Council (Jindabyne): Snowy Monaro Regional Council made a formal submission to the NSW Government's discussion paper on short- and

2024-03-25

Snowy Monaro Regional Council made a formal submission to the NSW Government's discussion paper on short- and long-term rental accommodation, citing that 27% of Jindabyne dwellings are non-hosted STRA and calling for balanced reform; no local cap or levy has resulted from this to date.

Byron Shire: Minister for Planning and Public Spaces determined Byron Shire Council's planning proposal, settling on a 60-d

2023-09

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces determined Byron Shire Council's planning proposal, settling on a 60-day non-hosted STRA cap plus two 365-day exemption precincts (Byron Bay Town Centre, Brunswick Heads).

Mornington Peninsula Shire: Short Stay Rental Accommodation Local Law amended by the Short Stay Rental Accommodation (Amendment) Local Law

2022-08-23

Short Stay Rental Accommodation Local Law amended by the Short Stay Rental Accommodation (Amendment) Local Law of 2022, by Council resolution, the amended instrument is now referred to on the Shire's website as the 'Local Law 2022' even though the base PDF is titled 'Local Law 2018'.

New South Wales: STRA exclusion register (Fair Trading Act 1987 s54B(2)(g)) commenced, allowing repeat/serious Code of Conduct

2022-08-01

STRA exclusion register (Fair Trading Act 1987 s54B(2)(g)) commenced, allowing repeat/serious Code of Conduct breachers to be barred from further STRA participation.

Noosa Shire Council: Short Stay Letting and Home Hosted Accommodation Local Law commenced, introducing the approval/renewal regime,

2022-02-01

Short Stay Letting and Home Hosted Accommodation Local Law commenced, introducing the approval/renewal regime, 24/7 contact-person requirement and complaints/compliance framework for the shire.

Greater Sydney (Sydney Metro): STRA planning and regulatory framework extended to Byron Shire LGA (not part of Greater Sydney, noted for cont

2022-01-31

STRA planning and regulatory framework extended to Byron Shire LGA (not part of Greater Sydney, noted for context on rollout timing).

Ballina Shire Council: NSW State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 STRA provisions commenced for most of NSW, including Ba

2021-11-01

NSW State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 STRA provisions commenced for most of NSW, including Ballina Shire, on 1 November 2021 (Byron Shire's commencement was deferred to 31 January 2022). Ballina Shire Council elected to adopt the 180-day non-hosted STRA cap available to regional councils under the state framework (hosted STRA remains uncapped at 365 days). Confirmed this session via the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure's official STRA FAQ (PDF, updated April 2024) and via Council's own STRA page.

Clarence Valley Council: Statewide STRA planning framework (SEPP (Housing) 2021 Part 6) commenced, introducing the 180-day non-hosted c

2021-11-01

Statewide STRA planning framework (SEPP (Housing) 2021 Part 6) commenced, introducing the 180-day non-hosted cap for land within the Clarence Valley Short-term Rental Accommodation Area Map, alongside the STRA Register, fire safety standard and Code of Conduct.

New South Wales: Statewide STRA planning framework commenced: SEPP (Housing) 2021 exempt-development pathway, STRA Register req

2021-11-01

Statewide STRA planning framework commenced: SEPP (Housing) 2021 exempt-development pathway, STRA Register requirement, 180-day non-hosted cap in prescribed areas (Greater Sydney, Ballina, mapped Clarence Valley/Muswellbrook land), and the STRA Fire Safety Standard under the EP&A (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021.

Greater Sydney (Sydney Metro): NSW statewide STRA planning framework commenced (exempt development pathway, hosted/non-hosted definitions, 18

2021-11-01

NSW statewide STRA planning framework commenced (exempt development pathway, hosted/non-hosted definitions, 180-day non-hosted cap in Greater Sydney and other listed LGAs, fire safety standards, STRA Register) for most of NSW.

New South Wales: Mandatory STRA Industry Code of Conduct commenced under Fair Trading Act 1987 Division 4A.

2020-12-18

Mandatory STRA Industry Code of Conduct commenced under Fair Trading Act 1987 Division 4A.

Greater Sydney (Sydney Metro): Mandatory STRA Code of Conduct commenced, applying to hosts, guests, booking platforms and letting agents stat

2020-12-18

Mandatory STRA Code of Conduct commenced, applying to hosts, guests, booking platforms and letting agents statewide including Greater Sydney.

City of Hobart: Short Stay Accommodation Act 2019 introduced the permit-disclosure requirement and quarterly booking-platform

2019-01-01

Short Stay Accommodation Act 2019 introduced the permit-disclosure requirement and quarterly booking-platform data reporting to the Director of Building Control (exact commencement date of operative provisions not independently confirmed). Core mechanics CONFIRMED both passes.

Shire of Augusta-Margaret River: Local Planning Policy 7 (Short Stay Accommodation) reviewed and re-adopted by Council (v3.0), setting the curr

2018-09-12

Local Planning Policy 7 (Short Stay Accommodation) reviewed and re-adopted by Council (v3.0), setting the current coastal-settlement/permitted-area/50m-village-centre/1ha locational criteria (HH1) and the 1-year-initial, up-to-3-year, then 5-year renewal structure for Holiday House approvals. Adoption date confirmed verbatim from the document's version-control table.

City of Hobart: Planning Directive No. 6 'home-sharing' exemption (≤4 bedrooms let, or whole home let only while owner/occupie

2018-08-01

Planning Directive No. 6 'home-sharing' exemption (≤4 bedrooms let, or whole home let only while owner/occupier temporarily absent, exempt from a planning permit) took effect statewide, replacing Interim Planning Directive No. 2, and remains the current test used in Hobart's planning scheme. Independently corroborated this pass via Devonport City Council's visitor-accommodation page (primary gazetted PD6 PDF itself still unreadable, see review_notes).

Douglas Shire Council (Port Douglas): Douglas Shire Planning Scheme 2018 (Version 1.0) commenced, establishing Short-term Accommodation as its own d

2018-01-02

Douglas Shire Planning Scheme 2018 (Version 1.0) commenced, establishing Short-term Accommodation as its own distinct assessable use category (assessed via the Tourist Accommodation Zone Code and the Multiple Dwellings, Short-term Accommodation & Retirement Village code), a materially different and generally stricter treatment than the prior scheme's approach of folding house-based holiday letting into ordinary 'House' use.

Douglas Shire Council (Port Douglas): Douglas Shire Planning Scheme Amendment 2010 No.4 inserted 'the short term letting of a house for the purpose

2010-12-08

Douglas Shire Planning Scheme Amendment 2010 No.4 inserted 'the short term letting of a house for the purpose of holiday rental accommodation' directly into the definition of 'House' under the then-operative (pre-2018) planning scheme, meaning such letting was treated as included within standard house use rather than requiring separate development assessment as its own use. NOTE: the wording change itself is confirmed from the source document, but the specific commencement/gazettal date of 8 December 2010 could not be independently verified in this pass, the source PDF's readable metadata did not include a date field and only exposed a document-access timestamp.