Is Airbnb legal in Perth?
Yes — Airbnb is legal in Perth. Short-term rental accommodation is a legitimate and widely used property use across the Perth metropolitan area, with over 11,600 properties listed on the state short-term rental register as of mid-2025.
What changed in 2024–25 is that it became regulated. Where previously each of Perth's 30 metropolitan councils had its own inconsistent approach, there's now a statewide framework with consistent rules: mandatory registration, a 90-night exemption threshold, and development approval requirements for unhosted properties that exceed that threshold.
Airbnb is legal. Operating without the required registration or approval is not.
Hosted vs unhosted — why it matters
The single most important distinction in WA's STRA rules is whether your property is hosted or unhosted. Almost everything else flows from this.
Hosted
The owner or a permanent resident lives on the property during the guest's stay. Classic examples: renting out a spare bedroom while you're home, or staying in a granny flat while guests use the main house.
Hosted short-term rental is exempt from development approval requirements across all of WA. State registration is still required, but no council DA is needed regardless of how many nights you operate.
Unhosted
Guests have exclusive use of the entire property — the standard whole-house Airbnb rental model. No owner or permanent resident is on-site during the stay.
Unhosted is where the approval requirements kick in. In Perth metro, unhosted properties renting more than 90 nights per year need development approval from their local council. Outside metro Perth, some councils require approval regardless of night count.
If guests book your entire house and you're not there during their stay, you're unhosted. That's the standard Airbnb whole-property listing model — and the one that triggers the 90-night threshold.
The state short-term rental register
All short-term rental accommodation in Western Australia — hosted and unhosted — must be registered on the State Short-Term Rental Accommodation Register, managed by the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS).
Registration opened 1 July 2024. It became mandatory from 1 January 2025. From 1 January 2026, platforms including Airbnb and Stayz will be required to ensure all listed properties have a valid registration number — unregistered properties will not be able to advertise or take bookings.
How to register
Register at straregister.demirs.wa.gov.au. You'll need to create an account, provide property details, and pay the registration fee.
Fees
Initial registration: $250. Annual renewal: $100. If your registration lapses for more than 28 days you'll need to pay the full $250 again.
What the register does
The register tracks bookings. It will send you notifications when you reach 80 and 90 nights booked in your registration year — a direct reminder that you're approaching or have hit the threshold requiring council development approval. It also gives local councils visibility of who is operating in their area and at what volume, making it straightforward to identify non-compliant properties.
Register now. Operating without registration is an offence under the Planning and Development Act 2005. The deadline was 1 January 2025 — if you're not registered, you're already non-compliant.
The 90-night rule explained
The 90-night rule is the central mechanism of WA's Perth metro short-term rental framework. Here's exactly how it works.
If your property is unhosted and located in one of the 30 Perth metropolitan local government areas, you are exempt from needing a council development approval provided you rent for 90 nights or fewer within your 12-month registration period.
The 90 nights are non-consecutive — they accumulate across the year. One week in January plus two weeks in April plus scattered weekends across winter can all count toward the total. The state Short-Term Rental Register tracks this automatically through booking data.
If you plan to exceed 90 nights
The WA Government's own guidance is clear: if you intend to operate beyond 90 nights, apply for development approval from your local council before you start taking bookings — not after you hit the threshold. By the time you reach 90 nights, you should already have approval in place.
Important: the 90-night rule doesn't apply everywhere
The 90-night exemption is a Perth metro rule. Outside the metro area it doesn't automatically apply:
- City of Busselton — development approval required from night one, no exemption. Busselton has operated its own mandatory short-term rental approval system for over a decade.
- Shire of Augusta Margaret River — planning approval required for all unhosted holiday houses regardless of nights. Applies across the Shire including Margaret River, Dunsborough-area coastal towns, and Augusta.
- Other regional councils — each determines its own threshold. Check with your specific council.
Which Perth councils need development approval
All 30 Perth metropolitan councils apply the 90-night exemption — but each has its own local planning policy, management plan format requirements, and assessment process. Here's where the key differences lie:
| Council | Threshold | Approval type | Advertising |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Victoria Park | 90 nights | Change of Use (A use — advertised) | Yes — required for all |
| City of Stirling | 90 nights | Change of Use under LPP 6.19 | Depends on application |
| City of Fremantle | 90 nights | Change of Use under LPP 2.27 | Depends on application |
| Town of Cottesloe | 90 nights | Change of Use under LPP No. 5 | Yes — standard |
| Town of Claremont | 90 nights | Change of Use under LPP 210 | Yes — standard |
| City of Nedlands | 90 nights | Change of Use under LPP 2.2 | Yes — standard |
| City of Joondalup | 90 nights | Change of Use under STRA LPP | Yes — 14 days |
| City of Wanneroo | 90 nights | Change of Use under LPP 4.22 | Yes — standard |
| City of Rockingham | 90 nights | Change of Use under STRA LPP | Yes — standard |
| City of Mandurah | 90 nights | Change of Use (metro council) | Confirm with council |
| City of South Perth | 90 nights | Change of Use under LPP 2.5 | Yes — standard |
| City of Melville | 90 nights | Change of Use under STRA LPP | Yes — if residential zone |
| City of Subiaco | 90 nights | Change of Use (Scheme Amendment No. 4) | Yes — 14 days |
| Town of Cambridge | 90 nights | Change of Use — info sheet applies | Depends on application |
| Town of East Fremantle | 90 nights | Change of Use (Scheme Amendment No. 20) | Depends on application |
| City of Busselton | No exemption | Change of Use under LPP 4.1 | Properties over 9 guests + all strata |
| Shire of Augusta Margaret River | No exemption | Holiday House planning approval | Depends on application |
Browse full guides for each council — including exact document requirements, fees, management plan formats, and what to watch out for — on our council pages.
Urban Approval Group handles your management plan, application lodgement, and council follow-up. $300 flat fee + council charges.
What a development application actually involves
If your property needs development approval, here's what the process typically looks like for a Perth metro council.
Documents you'll need
- Development Application form — signed by all owners of the property
- Management Plan — covers how you'll operate the property, including guest numbers, check-in/out times, noise management, parking, complaints procedure, and house rules. Every council has its own format requirement — some want an 8-section narrative document, others want a structured form with specific labelled fields.
- Certificate of Title — available from Landgate (landgate.wa.gov.au)
- Site plan and floor plans
- council application fee — payable to the council, separate from any service fee
Timeline
Most Perth metro councils have a standard 60-day assessment timeframe from lodgement of a complete application. Applications that require neighbour advertising (which most short-term rental development applications do) take longer — add 14–21 days for the advertising period. If a neighbour objects, the process can take longer still.
Given the 1 January 2026 deadline after which platforms require a registration number, if you need approval you should be lodging now — not in late 2025.
Management plan formats vary by council
This is where a lot of applicants trip up. The Town of Victoria Park accepts a free-flowing narrative management plan in 8 sections. The City of Nedlands provides a structured template with specific labelled fields. City of Claremont's LPP 210 requires specific provisions around 24-hour manager availability and off-street parking that aren't in every other council's requirements.
Submitting the wrong format — or missing a required section — can result in the application being returned. Urban Approval Group uses council-specific management plan formats for every application we lodge.
Consequences of not complying
The consequences of operating without registration or without required development approval are real and escalating as councils use the register data to identify non-compliant properties.
Operating without registration
An offence under the Planning and Development Act 2005. From 1 January 2026, unregistered properties cannot advertise or take bookings on platforms like Airbnb and Stayz. Significant fines apply.
Operating unhosted over 90 nights without a development application
The council can issue a compliance notice requiring you to cease operating. In serious cases, enforcement action and fines. The council can also refer your property for de-registration from the short-term rental register — which means Airbnb cannot legally list it.
Retrospective applications cost more
Some councils — including the City of Busselton — charge a higher council application fee for retrospective applications where a property has been operating without approval. Applying before you operate is always cheaper.
Existing operators are not exempt
If you've been listing on Airbnb for years without a development application, that history doesn't protect you. The reforms apply to all existing operators, not just new listings. The register gives councils the data to see exactly who's operating and at what volume.
If you're thinking of leaving the short-term market, the WA Government has offered a $10,000 payment to owners who convert their short-term rental property to a long-term rental. Check the WA Government website for current eligibility and whether the scheme is still open.
Perth Airbnb host compliance checklist
If you're hosting or thinking of hosting in Perth, work through this list:
- ✓ Register on the state short-term rental register — mandatory for all properties since 1 January 2025. Register at straregister.demirs.wa.gov.au ($250 initial, $100 annual renewal).
- ✓ Confirm hosted or unhosted — if you're on-site during stays, you're hosted and exempt from DA. If guests have the whole place, you're unhosted and the 90-night threshold applies.
- ✓ Check which council your property falls under — not all councils have the same requirements. Browse our council guides to see what applies to you.
- ✓ If outside Perth metro — check your council's specific rules — Busselton and Augusta Margaret River require approval regardless of nights. Other regional councils vary.
- ✓ If unhosted and planning over 90 nights — apply for council approval before you take bookings — don't wait until you hit the threshold.
- ✓ Prepare the right management plan format — each council has its own requirements. Using the wrong format will get your application returned.
- ✓ Display your STRA registration number in your listing — Airbnb and Stayz will require this to remain visible from 1 January 2026.
- ✓ Declare rental income to the ATO — short-term rental income is taxable. GST generally doesn't apply to residential rental income below the $75,000 threshold, but check with your accountant.