Australia Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Regulations 2026
LawfulStay tracks short-term rental (STR / Airbnb / Vrbo / holiday let / vacation rental) regulations for 53 cities and regions in Australia. Select a location below for current permit requirements, tax obligations, and compliance details.
Australia at a glance
- Places tracked
- 53 places: 24 active, 21 conditional, 8 restricted
- Licence or registration
- Required in 36 of 52 places
- Tax on stays
- Applies in 40 of 52 places
- National law
- Nationwide: no federal short-term rental law or licence. National rules ›
Australia short-term rental questions
Are short-term rentals legal in Australia?
In all 53 places we track in Australia, short-term rentals are allowed, 29 of them with permit conditions or limits.
Do I need a licence for a short-term rental in Australia?
36 of 52 places we track in Australia require a licence, permit or registration. Check your city's page for its rules.
Is there a national short-term rental law in Australia?
Nationwide: no federal short-term rental law or licence.
Which places in Australia have the strictest rules?
On our records: Sydney, Byron Bay, Noosa, Whitsundays, Tasmania, Blue Mountains.
Regions in Australia
Australia Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview
The short-term rental regulatory landscape in Australia encompasses 53 tracked jurisdictions: 24 with active regulations, 21 where rentals are allowed with conditions, 8 with restrictions. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.
36 of 53 tracked jurisdictions in Australia require some form of permit, license, or registration for short-term rental operations. Requirements range from simple online registration to comprehensive permit applications with inspections.
Tax obligations apply in 52 of 53 jurisdictions. Common taxes include occupancy taxes, tourist levies, and sales taxes. Many jurisdictions require hosts to register for tax collection, and some platforms like Airbnb collect and remit taxes automatically in select locations.
Cities with significant restrictions on vacation rentals include Sydney, Byron Bay, Noosa. These jurisdictions typically impose permit caps, zoning limitations, or primary residence requirements.
LawfulStay monitors Australia STR regulations daily and updates this page as rules change. Each city page includes detailed permit requirements, fee schedules, tax rates, zoning rules, and penalty information sourced from official government websites.
Blue MountainsNew South Wales
Blue Mountains is in Greater Sydney for NSW STRA purposes, so non-hosted short-term rentals are capped at 180 days a year
Byron BayNew South Wales
Strict 60-day annual cap on unhosted lets + NSW STRA registration
NoosaQueensland
Mandatory local license + 30-minute emergency contact response rule
PittwaterNew South Wales
New South Wales rules apply: Pittwater is part of Northern Beaches Council, one of the Greater Sydney councils where non-hosted lets are limited to 180 days a year
New South Wales (statewide)New South Wales
Every short-term rental in NSW must be on the STRA Register ($65, then $25 a year) and meet the fire safety standard
SydneyNew South Wales
Short-term rentals in Sydney follow the NSW statewide rules: every property must be on the NSW STRA Register ($65 to register, $25 each year to renew), and non-hosted lets in Greater Sydney are limited to 180 days a…
TasmaniaTasmania
Allowed, with material limits.
WhitsundaysQueensland
Planning approval plus a yearly council licence
AdelaideSouth Australia
No statewide register or levy
Adelaide HillsSouth Australia
Before you list a property in the Adelaide Hills, lodge a development application on the PlanSA portal for a change of use to tourist accommodation, and plan for building, bushfire and water-safety requirements
BunburyWestern Australia
Register on the WA STRA Register and show the registration number in every listing
BundabergQueensland
In Bundaberg's Low density residential zone, where most houses are, letting a whole home short term needs a development permit that Council can refuse
CaloundraQueensland
Sunshine Coast rules apply: Caloundra is part of Sunshine Coast
Gold CoastQueensland
One of Australia's most STR-friendly markets; no night cap, no state levy, no mandatory registration
Hervey BayQueensland
Before you let a whole home short-term in Hervey Bay, check the zone and lodge a development application with Fraser Coast Regional Council; in the Low density residential zone this is impact assessment
HobartTasmania
Whole-home short stays need a City of Hobart planning permit under the Tasmanian Planning Scheme; no ban is in force
LauncestonTasmania
Launceston: whole-home short stays need a council planning permit; main-residence home-sharing is exempt
Logan CityQueensland
If you will not live at the property, lodge a Material Change of Use application with Logan City Council before listing; outside the code-assessable zones your neighbours will be notified
MackayQueensland
In most Mackay suburbs (Low density residential zone), letting a whole home short term needs a development permit that Council can refuse
Mornington PeninsulaVictoria
Shire registration every year, registration number on all listings, a Designated Contact reachable within two hours, and a guest Code of Conduct
PerthWestern Australia
$10,000 STRA Incentive Scheme to convert STR to long-term lease
Point CookVictoria
Wyndham (City of) rules apply: Point Cook is part of Wyndham (City of)
RockhamptonQueensland
If you will host five people or fewer, in an existing home with no sign, and keep each stay to 14 nights or less, you can let without applying to Council
Sunshine CoastQueensland
Most homes on the Sunshine Coast are in the Low density residential zone, where letting a whole house to holidaymakers needs a development permit that Council can refuse
TarneitVictoria
Wyndham (City of) rules apply: Tarneit is part of Wyndham (City of)
ToowoombaQueensland
If you will not live at the property, apply to Toowoomba Regional Council for development approval before you list it, and allow for possible infrastructure charges
TownsvilleQueensland
Before you let a whole home short-term in Townsville, check your zone and lodge a development application with Townsville City Council; in the Low density residential zone this is impact assessment, which is the most…
WerribeeVictoria
Wyndham (City of) rules apply: Werribee is part of Wyndham (City of)
Wyndham (City of)Victoria
Get a Wyndham short stay accommodation permit ($340) before you list a property on Airbnb, Stayz or similar sites
BallaratVictoria
Ballarat: no council short-stay scheme found
BendigoVictoria
Victoria rules apply: Bendigo is part of Victoria
BerwickVictoria
Victoria rules apply: Berwick is part of Victoria
BrisbaneQueensland
No permit
CairnsQueensland
Queensland is one of the less regulated Australian states for STRs at the state level as of mid-2026
CanberraAustralian Capital Territory
Canberra has a significant STR market driven by government/diplomatic short-term relocations and tourism
Central CoastNew South Wales
NSW state rules apply (register, fire safety, Code of Conduct)
City of Port PhillipVictoria
No council registration for domestic-scale short stays in Port Phillip; the Victorian 7.5% Short Stay Levy applies from 1 January 2025 and owners corporations can ban non-resident short stays
Coffs HarbourNew South Wales
Coffs Harbour allows short-term rentals 365 days a year under the NSW framework; state registration is mandatory and the council can consider a reduced limit (not below 180 days) where land-use conflict is shown
CraigieburnVictoria
Victoria rules apply: Craigieburn is part of Victoria
DarwinNorthern Territory
Darwin's seasonal tourism (Dry Season: May–October) drives significant STR activity
GeelongVictoria
Victoria rules apply: Geelong is part of Victoria
MaitlandNew South Wales
NSW state rules apply in Maitland: mandatory STRA Register ($65, then $25 a year), fire safety standard and Code of Conduct
MandurahWestern Australia
Register on the WA STRA Register and show the registration number in every listing
MelbourneVictoria
City of Melbourne has no short-stay local law; on 11 June 2024 the Future Melbourne Committee shelved its planned registration and 180-day cap
Melbourne City CentreVictoria
Melbourne rules apply: Melbourne City Centre is part of Melbourne
Australia (nationwide)
Nationwide: no federal short-term rental law or licence
NewcastleNew South Wales
NSW state rules apply: mandatory STRA Register, fire safety standard and Code of Conduct
PakenhamVictoria
Victoria rules apply: Pakenham is part of Victoria
Port MacquarieNew South Wales
Port Macquarie-Hastings follows the statewide NSW short-term rental framework: mandatory state registration and Code of Conduct, no local night cap
ReservoirVictoria
Victoria rules apply: Reservoir is part of Victoria
TuggeranongAustralian Capital Territory
Canberra rules apply: Tuggeranong is part of Canberra
VictoriaVictoria
Allowed. The only duty is a notice or registration that nobody has to approve.
WollongongNew South Wales
NSW state rules apply (register, fire safety, Code of Conduct)