Short Stay RulesGuides
Cross-jurisdiction explainers. Every fact here is drawn from the same verified, dated records as the jurisdiction pages, and cites the same official sources.
Cross-jurisdiction guide
Fire safety obligations for short-stay hosts, state by state
Smoke alarm, evacuation plan and certification rules for short-term rentals by state, including Queensland's interconnected alarm deadline of 1 January 2027.
Verified 2026-07-25
Cross-jurisdiction guide
Hosted or non-hosted: the single distinction that decides almost everything
Being present during a stay changes your night cap, your planning approval, your levy and whether strata can ban you. How each jurisdiction draws the line.
Verified 2026-07-25
Cross-jurisdiction guide
Every Australian short-stay levy, and which ones are actually law
Victoria charges 7.5%, the ACT 5% rising to 7.5%, Tasmania has a bill that has not passed, everywhere else charges nothing. Enacted and proposed, kept apart.
Verified 2026-07-25
Cross-jurisdiction guide
Penalties and enforcement: what it actually costs to get this wrong
Fines, penalty units and enforcement pathways for short-stay breaches in every Australian state, with the offence provisions and who actually gets pursued.
Verified 2026-07-25
How to comply
Registering a short-term rental in New South Wales
What the NSW STRA Register costs, when you must be on it, the fire safety standard you have to meet first, and the Code of Conduct that comes with it.
Verified 2026-07-25
How to comply
Registering a short-term rental in Western Australia
What the WA STRA Register costs, why registration alone is not enough in Perth, and the planning approval deadline hosts expecting a 2026 start have missed.
Verified 2026-07-25
Cross-jurisdiction guide
Can your strata scheme stop you short-term renting?
Whether an owners corporation or body corporate can ban short-stay letting, answered for every Australian state, with the section of the Act that decides it.
Verified 2026-07-25
Correction
Victoria has no night cap on short stays
Victoria sets no limit on short-stay nights, hosted or non-hosted. The 180-night cap is a NSW rule. Victoria has a 7.5% levy and an owners corporation veto.
Verified 2026-07-26
Correction
WA's 90-night rule started in 2024, not 2026
Perth's 90-night threshold for unhosted short-term rentals has applied since 19 September 2024. The 1 January 2026 obligations are not the start of the rule.
Verified 2026-07-26