Quick answer
Across Perth’s beach, river and inner suburbs, a well-presented 2-3 bedroom short-stay earns considerably more than the market average. In Cottesloe the market runs about $134,000 a year (82% occupancy, $448 nightly rate), while professionally managed listings, the top 25% of performers, reach roughly $172,500 (94% occupancy, $503 nightly rate). Across most Perth suburbs the top quartile earns about 1.2 to 1.9 times the market average. All figures are Airbtics 2026 data for 2-3 bedroom entire homes.
Why this guide shows two numbers, not one
Most suburb data you will read quotes a single “average” figure. That is misleading, because it blends genuinely well-run properties with poorly-presented and badly-priced listings that drag the average down. Artelier Residence does not operate at the average. We operate at the top of the market, and so should any owner serious about returns.
So throughout this guide, every suburb shows two figures, both from Airbtics 2026 for a 2-3 bedroom entire home:
- Market average, the typical active listing in that suburb, across all operators.
- Professionally managed (top 25%), the 75th-percentile performer: the band that actively-managed, well-presented, correctly-priced listings occupy.
The “professionally managed” figure is not a best-case fantasy. It is where competent operation lands. A property performing at the market average has clear room to move up; a property in the bottom quartile is usually leaving 30 to 50 percent of achievable revenue on the table through fixable operational issues.
A note on the numbers. Figures are Airbtics 2026, standardised to 2-3 bedroom entire-home listings. Occupancy reflects Airbtics’ active-listing methodology and runs high; treat the revenue and nightly-rate figures as the primary signal. Individual property performance varies materially with size, presentation, pricing calibration and management quality.
The three-tier Perth short-stay landscape
Perth suburbs fall into three broad performance tiers when analysed for short-stay:
Tier 1, Coastal Premium. Cottesloe, Scarborough, Trigg, North Beach, Sorrento. Beach demand is the primary driver. High nightly rates, strong summer peaks, softer winter troughs. Guest market skews leisure.
Tier 2, CBD and City Fringe. City of Perth, East Perth, West Perth, Northbridge, Highgate, Mount Lawley. Business and event demand drives occupancy. Steadier year-round bookings, less seasonal variance.
Tier 3, Inner Character and Established Suburbs. Subiaco, Nedlands, Floreat, Wembley, Leederville, Fremantle. Mixed demand across leisure and business, with character-driven positioning.
Two additional categories sit outside these tiers: South of the River (South Perth, Como, Applecross), where CBD-and-river views differentiate; and Regional and Peri-Urban (Mandurah, Margaret River), which operate under a different regulatory regime.
Tier 2, CBD and City Fringe suburbs
City of Perth (Perth CBD, East Perth, West Perth)
| Annual revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market average | ~$134,000 | 83% | $432 |
| Professionally managed (top 25%) | ~$200,700 | 97% | $567 |
Perth CBD is a business-and-event market. Occupancy is steady, and the step to the top quartile is substantial here too (about 1.5 times), in line with Perth’s stronger suburbs. Optus Stadium, RAC Arena, HBF Park, the Convention Centre and Crown all drive spikes.
Guest market: business travellers, corporate relocators, event attendees, medical placements at Royal Perth Hospital, university parents (UWA, Curtin), interstate and international business visitors.
Seasonal pattern: relatively steady year-round with event-weekend spikes.
Property types that work: 1-2 bedroom apartments in serviced-style buildings, workspace-enabled units for extended business stays, properties with parking (rare and premium in the CBD).
Regulatory note: City of Perth has active STRA enforcement and requires state registration. Development approval is typically required for unhosted operation exceeding 90 nights per year.
Northbridge
| Annual revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market average | ~$132,100 | 81% | $438 |
| Professionally managed (top 25%) | ~$200,700 | 97% | $567 |
Northbridge is Perth’s entertainment and dining district, with a younger, shorter-stay, higher-turnover guest profile. The average-to-managed gap here is wide (about 1.5 times), driven as much by guest screening and turnover discipline as by pricing. Friday-to-Sunday and event/festival bookings dominate.
Guest market: interstate weekenders, event and festival attendees, international visitors.
Highgate and Mount Lawley
| Annual revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market average | ~$106,800 | 90% | $325 |
| Professionally managed (top 25%) | ~$161,000 | 98% | $450 |
Highgate and Mount Lawley offer “inner-city character” positioning, with the Beaufort Street strip a strong draw. Property stock skews older character homes and modern infill, and the top quartile lifts revenue by around half above the market average.
Guest market: interstate leisure, business overflow when the CBD is at capacity, cultural and dining-driven visitors.
Tier 3, Inner Character and Established suburbs
Subiaco
| Annual revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market average | ~$110,500 | 78% | $388 |
| Professionally managed (top 25%) | ~$161,600 | 90% | $492 |
Subiaco is a strong, steady position with the Rokeby Road strip, Subi East development, HBF Park (concerts, football) and Perth Children’s Hospital nearby. The top quartile reaches 90% occupancy and lifts revenue by roughly 1.5 times.
Guest market: Perth Children’s Hospital patient families (a genuine, undersupplied market), event attendees, business travellers, character-driven leisure visitors.
Seasonal pattern: relatively steady with event-driven spikes.
Nedlands, Floreat and Wembley
| Annual revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market average (Nedlands) | ~$120,600 | 81% | $408 |
| Professionally managed (top 25%) | ~$178,100 | 94% | $519 |
Figures shown are for Nedlands; Floreat and Wembley sit in the same established-residential tier. These are quieter short-stay markets with family-home stock rather than apartments, best positioned for extended-stay family bookings and university parents (UWA proximity). Even in a “quiet” market, the top quartile lifts revenue by nearly half.
Guest market: UWA parents and academic visitors, medical placements at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, family accommodation, longer-stay relocations.
Fremantle
| Annual revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market average | ~$130,000 | 84% | $424 |
| Professionally managed (top 25%) | ~$194,100 | 96% | $554 |
Fremantle is a category of one in Perth short-stay: a genuinely different guest market, distinctive character-driven appeal, and a more even seasonal profile thanks to international tourism. The step to the top quartile is one of the largest in this guide, at roughly 1.5 times.
Guest market: international tourism, cruise stopovers, Perth locals seeking a different weekend, music and cultural event attendees.
Seasonal pattern: more even than other Perth areas due to international tourism.
Regulatory note: City of Fremantle has historically taken a more restrictive STRA position. Verify current requirements at engagement.
South of the River
South Perth
| Annual revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market average | ~$119,200 | 91% | $359 |
| Professionally managed (top 25%) | ~$211,800 | 98% | $592 |
South Perth shows one of the widest average-to-managed gaps in this guide: the top quartile earns nearly 1.8 times the market average. CBD views across the Swan River, the Mends Street precinct and the Coode Street ferry give a well-run property genuine year-round appeal.
Guest market: business travellers wanting quieter accommodation than the CBD, leisure visitors drawn to the river views, event visitors (foreshore, Skyworks).
Como
| Annual revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market average | ~$112,600 | 81% | $381 |
| Professionally managed (top 25%) | ~$171,400 | 91% | $516 |
Como shares South Perth’s river-adjacent appeal at a slightly lower price point, with the top quartile lifting revenue by roughly 1.5 times.
Applecross
| Annual revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market average | ~$111,100 | 75% | $406 |
| Professionally managed (top 25%) | ~$167,900 | 92% | $500 |
Applecross carries a strong river-view premium in the right pocket, with a quieter, family-focused guest market rather than event-driven demand.
Regional and peri-urban
Mandurah
| Annual revenue | Occupancy | Nightly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market average | ~$97,500 | 69% | $387 |
| Professionally managed (top 25%) | ~$136,900 | 74% | $507 |
Mandurah operates under a different regulatory regime than Perth metro, the 90-night unhosted cap that applies in Perth metropolitan areas does not apply in most Mandurah zones, making it a high-ceiling market for owners who can operate 80 kilometres from Perth. It is also the most seasonal in this guide, which shows in the lower occupancy figures; active off-season pricing is what moves a property toward the top quartile.
Guest market: Perth family weekenders, interstate families on longer holidays, event visitors (Crab Fest, Mandurah Boat Show).
Seasonal pattern: peak October to April with strong summer school-holiday demand.
Margaret River (regional, for reference)
Margaret River sits outside AR’s Perth metro focus but is a strong short-stay region with a different guest profile: wine and food tourism, longer bookings, and a seasonal pattern tied to the wine and tourism calendar. Owners there operate under a different council framework.
What the two numbers actually mean for your property
The suburb average tells you what a typical listing produces. The top-quartile figure tells you what the same property produces when it is run properly. The distance between them, routinely 1.2 to 1.9 times across Perth, is not luck or location. It is execution, and it is made up of fixable things:
- Presentation and photography (the single biggest lever after location)
- Pricing calibration (dynamic pricing tuned to the suburb and event calendar typically lifts revenue 10 to 20 percent)
- Listing copy and platform positioning
- Guest screening discipline (better guests mean higher review scores, which drive better bookings and higher rates)
- Response time and communication quality
- Cross-platform presence (Airbnb-only listings capture roughly 50 to 70 percent of available demand versus multi-platform)
A property performing at the suburb average has a clear, evidenced path to the top quartile. Closing that gap is precisely what Artelier Residence does.
How to think about your property against this guide
Three questions to self-assess:
- Which tier is your property in? Coastal Premium, CBD and City Fringe, or Inner Character? This sets your realistic ceiling.
- Which guest market are you serving? Leisure, business, event-driven, family, medical, or a mix?
- Where are you performing, average, or top quartile? If your property is near the suburb average, the top-quartile figures above are not aspirational. They are what the same property earns under professional management.
What comes next
If you want a realistic view of what your Perth property could earn, average versus professionally managed, the fastest way to find out is a free 48-hour property projection. We analyse your specific suburb, comparable listings, seasonal patterns and current performance, and come back with a written projection tailored to your property.
Book a free 48-hour property projection, no obligation.
To understand how a well-run Perth short-stay compares against long-term rental, see our short-stay vs long-term rental returns guide. To see how we run Perth properties to top-quartile standards, our short-stay property management service explains the end-to-end approach.