The Western Australian Government is progressing initiatives to better manage short-term rental accommodation in Western Australia through changes to the State’s planning system and introduction of a statewide registration scheme.
Key points:
- Providers of short-term rental accommodations in Western Australia must register their property under the new registration system. For further details about the registration scheme, please reach out to Consumer Protection directly or visit Planning Online.
- The Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act 2024 was passed in April 2024 and the register opened 1 July 2024. All STRA must be registered by 1 January 2025.
- Owners who register their short-term rental accommodations before September 2024 will be granted a waiver of the $250 annual registration fee for the initial year.
- Starting from January 1, 2025, registered owners must show their registration number on all online advertisements and booking platforms.
- Registrations might get suspended or revoked for providing false or misleading information. Advertising unregistered properties could lead to fines of up to $20,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporations.
WA’s STRA background
The first Short-Term Rental in Western Australia was introduced in Como in August 2008. Two years later, 30 properties were listed online. Currently, there are over 12,000 online listings in Western Australia.
Local Western Australian governments have previously determined their own regulations regarding the need for approvals to set up STRA and handled enforcement issues. With the aim to address community concerns and streamline state processes, in 2019 a Parliamentary inquiry was held: Levelling the Playing Field: Managing the impact of the rapid increase of short-term rentals in Western Australia. Following the inquiry the State Government committed to various initiatives to improve regulation of the short-term rental accommodation sector.
What does the community think?
Levelling the Playing Field – the Chair’s Foreword:
The increasing prevalence of Short-Term Rentals, often in competition with Traditional Accommodation, has prompted this Inquiry. There are a wide range of views on the topic, across the State and within local government areas. Although there were differences in the individual accounts provided to the Committee, there were four main stakeholder groups raising consistent issues: Traditional Accommodation providers, Short-Term Rental owners, neighbor’s and holiday makers.
Traditional Accommodation providers raised issues surrounding competition from Short Term Rentals, noting that their rise coincided with a decline in Traditional Accommodation occupancy rates. They stated that Short-Term Rentals are not subject to the same approvals and compliance costs and burdens, resulting in an ‘uneven playing field’. Traditional Accommodation providers observed that they were often subject to higher local government and utility rates and expressed concerns about consumer protections, customer experiences, insurances, safety and disability access. Some claimed that Short-Term Rentals do not add to local economic activity nor contribute to local destination marketing and tourism initiatives. They stated that competition from Short-Term Rentals was causing them to reduce staffing numbers. Traditional Accommodation providers urged a high degree of government intervention and regulation, often advocating that Short-Term Rentals be subject to the same compliance measures as traditional forms of Short-Stay Accommodation.
Short-Term Rental owners (and the platforms facilitating them) emphasised a range of benefits from their form of accommodation. They stated that Short-Term Rentals provide consumers with more choice in how they holiday and encourage tourism into areas that may not have many Traditional Accommodation options. They claim that they generate local economic activity, regularly referring their guests to local small businesses and tourism attractions. Hosted accommodation owners in particular claimed that they provide a more authentic experience, allowing their guests to ‘live like a local’. They provided evidence that they employ local support services (such as cleaners, gardeners etc.) and themselves derive an income stream from letting their properties. The Committee also heard that entirely new business models are emerging, providing Short-Term Rental management services.
Holiday makers supported the view that Short-Term Rentals provide a different form of Short-Stay Accommodation product and facilitate consumer choice. Given their lower cost, Short-Term Rentals make access to holiday making more affordable and accessible. They allow people to travel with their pets, self-cater and provide a ‘home away from home’ experience that is particularly beneficial for larger family groups or those travelling with young children.
Neighbors of Short-Term Rentals emphasised the negative impacts that properties can have on amenity. The Committee was presented with evidence of ‘party’ houses and apartments and of homes being used as corporate venues. In residential areas, people raised issues such as barking dogs, loud music and other antisocial behavior’s, and said their neighborhood’s became ‘ghost towns’ during low season periods. In apartment and strata complexes, people expressed additional concerns about building access and security and the misuse of common areas. Local governments expressed similar concerns about these issues and discussed the difficulty in developing and implementing policy or regulatory controls.
What will the STRA Registration Scheme achieve?
- assist the State and local governments in obtaining a better understanding of the short-term accommodation sector in Western Australia, leading to more informed policy and regulatory responses;
- provide the community with information about what short-term rental accommodation exists in their area; and
- ensure providers are aware of local laws and planning controls.
What do the changes mean for tourism and STRA?
New and amended tourism-related definitions will be included in the updated Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015. These will help to ensure consistency throughout Western Australia in relation to how STRA is defined within planning laws, regulations and other types of documents.
Key changes to Western Australia’s planning framework include:
- state-wide planning exemptions for hosted STRA;
- new planning exemptions for un-hosted STRA within the Perth metropolitan area;
- regional local governments (including Peel) to implement planning rules to suit the needs of their communities;
- new and revised definitions to be introduced into all local government planning schemes which deal with STRA and tourism land uses; and
- importantly, the changes do not introduce a cap on the number of nights a property can be leased on the short-term market.
Community Contacts
Registration inquiries (Dept of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety): 1300 136 237 or email
Planning requirements (Dept of Planning, Lands and Heritage): (08) 6551 8002 or email
