To run a short-stay rental in Perth legally, you must register the property on Western Australia’s Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) Register ($250 to register, $100 a year to renew) and display your registration number on every advertisement. Unhosted rentals let for more than 90 nights a year in the Perth metro area also need development approval from your local council. Since 1 January 2026, unregistered properties cannot be advertised or booked.
That is the short version. If you own a property in Perth and let it on Airbnb, Stayz, Booking.com or directly, the rest of this guide walks through exactly what compliance looks like now, what it costs, where the traps sit, and how the state register and your local council fit together. I manage short-stay properties across Perth for a living, so I have gone through this process property by property. I will flag where the rules are genuinely settled and where they still depend on your suburb and your strata.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm the current position with the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (DLGIRS) and your local council before you act.
What “STRA” actually means in WA
Short-term rental accommodation is the practice of letting a whole property, or part of one, on a nightly or weekly basis. In WA the definition and the rules sit under the Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act 2024. Two words in that framework decide almost everything about your obligations: hosted and unhosted.
- Hosted STRA is where you live on-site and let a room or part of your home while you are there. Think spare room, granny flat, or a sleepout while you are home.
- Unhosted STRA is where guests have exclusive use of the whole property and you are not living there. This is the standard Airbnb investment model, and it carries the heaviest obligations.
Almost every Perth investor running a dedicated short-stay property is operating unhosted STRA. If that is you, read the planning-approval section closely, because the 90-night rule is where most people get caught out.
The two systems you need to satisfy
There is a common misconception that registering on the state register is the whole job. It is not. Compliance in WA runs on two separate tracks, and you can be fully signed up on one while breaching the other.
| System | Run by | What it does | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| STRA Register | DLGIRS (state) | Records every short-stay property; issues your registration number | Every hosted and unhosted STRA in WA |
| Planning approval | Your local council | Controls whether the land use is permitted, via development approval | Mainly unhosted STRA over 90 nights/year in Perth metro |
Registration is mandatory for everyone. Planning approval depends on how you operate and where. You need to get both right.
Step 1: Register on the WA STRA Register
Registration has been mandatory since 1 January 2025, and the register itself opened on 1 July 2024. As of 1 January 2026, any property not on the register is prohibited from being advertised or booked. This is the change that has real teeth right now: no registration number, no listing.
What it costs
- $250 to register a property initially
- $100 to renew each property every 12 months
How to register
You apply online through the STRA Register portal run by DLGIRS (straregister.demirs.wa.gov.au). You will need your property details, ownership evidence and, for unhosted properties operating above the exemption threshold, your planning approval reference. Once approved, you receive a registration number.
Displaying your number
Your registration number must appear in a conspicuous, readily visible position on every advertisement for the property, on every platform. That means your Airbnb listing, your Stayz listing, your own website, and anywhere else the property is promoted. Booking platforms are also required to report booking data to the register, so the number on your listing needs to match the number on the register.
The penalty for getting this wrong
Operating an unregistered STRA can attract fines of up to $20,000. For a single property earning a few thousand dollars a month, that is not a risk worth carrying to save a $250 fee.
Step 2: Work out whether you need council planning approval
This is the step Perth investors most often miss, because registration feels like the finish line. It is not.
The 90-night exemption (Perth metro)
Within the Perth metropolitan area, unhosted STRA let for 90 nights or fewer (non-consecutive) in a 12-month period is exempt from needing development approval. The 12 months runs from your date of registration. The idea behind the exemption is to let people rent out their own home while they travel, without forcing a full planning application.
If your unhosted property is let for more than 90 nights a year, you need development approval from your local council. Most dedicated investment properties blow past 90 nights well before they are profitable, so if you are running a property as a genuine short-stay business, assume you need approval and plan for it.
Hosted STRA, where you live on-site, is generally exempt from development approval across the metro area, but still must be registered.
A quick decision guide
| Your situation (Perth metro) | Register? | Development approval? |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted (you live on-site) | Yes | Generally no |
| Unhosted, 90 nights/year or fewer | Yes | No (exempt) |
| Unhosted, more than 90 nights/year | Yes | Yes, from your council |
Outside the Perth metropolitan area, the exemption framework differs and your local planning scheme governs. Regional councils set their own thresholds, so the 90-night rule should not be assumed beyond metro Perth.
Step 3: Check your specific council’s rules
Development approval is granted by your local government, and each council has its own local planning policy sitting on top of the state framework. The state sets the floor; your council can add conditions. A few Perth examples show how much this varies:
- City of Vincent requires a change-of-use development application supported by a management plan and a code of conduct, with an application fee in the vicinity of $295. Vincent’s local planning policy spells out what those management documents must cover.
- City of Stirling operates Local Planning Policy 6.19 for STRA, with conditions around parking, noise management and property management standards.
- City of Perth has been progressing its own scheme amendments and planning policies for short-stay in the CBD and surrounds.
The practical takeaways are consistent across councils: expect to submit a management plan, expect conditions on parking, noise and guest conduct, and expect a fee and a processing period. Budget several weeks, not several days, and apply before you exceed 90 nights, not after.
If you are weighing up whether a particular suburb is worth the approval process at all, our Perth suburb short-stay demand guide breaks down where metro demand actually supports the numbers.
Step 4: Clear your strata (if applicable)
If your property is in a strata scheme (an apartment, villa or townhouse), the state register and council approval are not the end of it. Your strata by-laws can restrict or outright prohibit short-stay letting, and a validly made by-law binds you regardless of your STRA registration.
Before you register or apply for approval, read your scheme’s by-laws and, if there is any doubt, get written confirmation from your strata council or manager. Buying an apartment specifically to run as an Airbnb and only then discovering a by-law that bans it is one of the most expensive mistakes we see. Check this first, not last.
Step 5: Insurance, tax and the obligations behind the obligations
Registration and approval make you legal. They do not make you covered or compliant with the ATO. Two areas need your own professional advice.
Insurance
Standard home-and-contents and most landlord policies do not cover commercial short-stay use. You generally need a policy written for short-term letting, covering guest liability, damage and loss of income. Confirm the cover in writing before your first booking, not after a claim is knocked back.
Tax
Short-stay income is assessable income and must be declared. The offset is that you can typically deduct the portion of expenses that relate to the letting. Beyond income tax, factor in:
- Land tax, which applies differently to investment property than to your home
- Capital gains tax implications if the property is not your main residence
- GST, which generally does not apply to residential short-stay rent, though your accountant should confirm this for your structure
Speak to an accountant who understands short-stay specifically. The rules around apportioning deductions and main-residence exemptions are where owners lose money quietly.
What happened to the $10,000 incentive scheme?
You may have read about WA’s STRA Incentive Scheme, which paid owners $10,000 to shift an unhosted short-stay property to a 12-month tenancy. It ran in phases through the housing shortage, paid in two stages ($4,000 on approval and $6,000 once the lease reached 12 months). Phase 3 closed to applications in early 2026 after funds were exhausted.
As of this writing there is no open phase. If the government reopens the scheme, it will be announced through Consumer Protection WA and DLGIRS. It is worth knowing the scheme existed, because it signals the policy direction: the state would prefer marginal short-stay stock back in the long-term pool, and that tone shapes how the register and planning rules are enforced.
The Perth short-stay market in 2026: is compliance worth it?
Compliance costs time and money, so the fair question is whether Perth’s returns justify it. The market data says yes, with caveats.
Perth remains one of Australia’s stronger short-stay markets. For a 2–3 bedroom entire home, Airbtics 2026 data shows professionally managed listings, the top 25%, earning roughly 1.2 to 1.9 times the suburb average: in Cottesloe about $172,500 a year against a $134,000 market average, and in Fremantle about $194,100 against $130,000. The signal that matters for a prospective operator: well-run, well-located properties sit at the top of that range, not the middle.
The register has also thinned the field. Now that unregistered properties cannot be advertised, a chunk of casual and non-compliant supply has dropped out, which is quietly good news for owners who do the work properly. For a suburb-by-suburb comparison, see the Perth Suburb Short-Stay Demand Guide.
Your compliance checklist
Work through this before you take a single booking:
- Confirm hosted vs unhosted. This decides your planning obligations.
- Check strata by-laws if the property is in a scheme. Do this first.
- Register on the STRA Register ($250) and record your registration number.
- Assess the 90-night threshold. Over 90 nights unhosted in metro Perth means you need council approval.
- Apply to your local council for development approval if required, with a management plan.
- Display your registration number conspicuously on every listing and platform.
- Arrange short-stay insurance in writing.
- Brief your accountant on income, land tax and CGT before year one.
- Renew annually ($100) and keep your details current.
Get these nine right and you are operating a compliant, defensible short-stay business in Perth. Miss the register or the 90-night rule and you are exposed to fines of up to $20,000 and the loss of your ability to advertise at all.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register if I only rent occasionally?
Yes. Registration is mandatory for all hosted and unhosted STRA in WA, regardless of how often you let. The 90-night rule affects planning approval, not whether you must register.
Do I need council approval for a hosted rental?
Generally no. Hosted STRA, where you live on-site, is typically exempt from development approval in the metro area, but you still must register.
What if my property is outside Perth?
The 90-night metro exemption does not automatically apply. Regional councils set their own thresholds through their local planning schemes, so check directly with your local government.
Can my strata stop me running an Airbnb?
Yes. Strata by-laws can restrict or prohibit short-stay letting, and they bind you regardless of STRA registration. Always check before you buy or list.
How much does compliance cost in year one?
Budget roughly $250 for registration, plus a council development application fee (often around $295 and up) if you are over the 90-night threshold, plus short-stay insurance. Renewal is $100 a year.
Managing a compliant short-stay property in Perth is not hard once you understand that the register and your council are two separate hurdles, not one. If you would rather hand the whole process to someone who does it daily, our short-stay property management service handles registration, council approval, strata liaison and ongoing compliance so you never have to track a renewal date. You can also read how short-stay stacks up against a standard lease in our short-stay vs long-term rental returns guide.
About the author
Brenton is the founder of Artelier Residence, a boutique short-stay property management business based in Perth. He manages a portfolio of premium short-stay homes across the Perth metro area and works directly with local owners on registration, council approval and day-to-day operations under WA’s STRA framework. Artelier Residence is built on hospitality standards drawn from the boutique end of the industry, and Brenton writes regularly for Perth landlords weighing up how, or whether, to run a short-stay rental. For tailored guidance on your property, get in touch through the Artelier Residence contact page.
Last reviewed: 10 August 2026. This article reflects the WA STRA framework current at the time of writing and is general information only, not legal, financial or tax advice. Confirm current fees, thresholds and requirements with DLGIRS and your local council.