This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
REGISTRATION for all short-term rental accommodation (STRA) in Western Australia has opened, as more jurisdictions move to more stringently regulate the Airbnb and Stayz markets.
Owners of Airbnb, Stayz and other STRA properties can now sign up their hosted and unhosted properties to the state’s Consumer Protection-operated register before it becomes mandatory at the beginning 2025.
After this time, it will be illegal for unregistered STRA properties to be advertised, including on online booking platforms.
Registrations may be suspended or cancelled if false or misleading information is provided. Individuals could be whacked with a $20,000 fine and corporations with a fine of up to $100,000 for advertising unregistered properties.
The Cook government is also finalising changes to planning regulations that will include a requirement for unhosted STRA properties in the Perth metropolitan area to have development approval if rented for more than 90 nights in a 12-month period, as well as a state-wide development approval exemption for hosted STRA.
From 2026, STRA properties will be required to demonstrate they meet development approval requirements in order to remain registered.
The Cook government is hoping to entice owners to register sooner with the waiving of the $250 annual fee for those who register their STRA properties in between July and September.
“This new register will help create a comprehensive picture of the STRA sector in WA by showing us how many properties there are, their locations and how they are being used,” said Commerce Minister Sue Ellery.
Upon registering, owners will receive a registration number that must be displayed when advertising their properties. Once the new register opens, the public will be able to search properties to see whether they are registered and verify that a registration number is valid.
A heat map of registered STRA properties in WA is also expected to be made available later in the year.
Tighter regulations of the STRA market comes as the country endures a national housing crisis, with rental vacancy rates hovering around all-time lows.
Last month, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced that STRA property owners will need a council-approved permit to operate, as well as higher rates, in a move that he said would put “hundreds” of homes back onto the rental market.
Brisbane City Council will only issue a permit if there are planning approvals in place, if a permit is “appropriate”, and if it has the support of a body corporate, where relevant.
The NSW government has been weighing up restricting the number of days a STRA can be rented out. In a discussion paper, it said the lower day caps on non-hosted STRA may “encourage some property owners to lease their property in the long-term rental market…because day caps may make short-term rental accommodation less profitable.”
