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Australia Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Regulations 2026

LawfulStay tracks short-term rental (STR / Airbnb / Vrbo / holiday let / vacation rental) regulations for 17 cities and regions in Australia. Select a location below for current permit requirements, tax obligations, and compliance details.

9 Active 7 Restricted 1 Pending

Australia Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview

The short-term rental regulatory landscape in Australia encompasses 17 tracked jurisdictions: 9 with active regulations, 7 with restrictions, 1 with pending legislation. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.

Approximately 94% of 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 17 of 17 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 Perth, Byron Bay, Hobart. 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.

BrisbaneQueensland
Brisbane City Council charges a 150% surcharge on council rates (property taxes) for properties rented out as STRs for more than 59 days per year.
Restricted
Byron BayNew South Wales
NSW Code of Conduct applies. Byron Shire has a strict 60-day annual cap on unhosted lets, lower than the state standard of 180 days.
Restricted
CanberraAustralian Capital Territory
The ACT's 180-night cap for unhosted rentals was introduced to address housing affordability in Canberra. The ACT Government has signalled intent to tighten enf…
Restricted
HobartTasmania
In residential zones, new planning permits for short-term visitor accommodation in secondary residences are banned.
Restricted
Mornington PeninsulaVictoria
Victoria's Short Stay Levy Act 2025 is a landmark reform making Victoria the first Australian state with a purpose-built short-stay levy. Mornington Peninsula S…
Restricted
NoosaQueensland
Mandatory local license, quiet hours, code of conduct, and a designated local responder available 24/7 who must respond on-site within 30 minutes.
Restricted
PerthWestern Australia
From 1 Jan 2026 unregistered properties prohibited from advertising/booking; registration mandatory since 1 Jan 2025
Restricted
AdelaideSouth Australia
More permissive than Victoria. No dedicated STR levy enacted (unlike Victoria's 7.5%). SA Tourism Commission registration required. Growing wine region and fest…
Active
CairnsQueensland
Queensland has not enacted the state-level STR registration framework that some other Australian states (e.g., NSW, SA, WA) have adopted. Cairns Regional Counci…
Active
DarwinNorthern Territory
The NT has a relatively light regulatory environment for STR compared to southern states. Darwin is a smaller STR market. The NT Government has not announced pl…
Active
Gold CoastQueensland
Queensland smoke alarm laws require interconnected photoelectric alarms in every bedroom, hallway and on each storey (all dwellings must comply by 1 January 202…
Active
MelbourneVictoria
Lodgement frequency depends on total booking fees: quarterly if $75,000+ annually, otherwise annual; if annual lodgers exceed $75,000 they must switch to quarte…
Active
Nationwide
Short-term letting legal nationwide but rules set by each state and territory; no national register or night cap
Active
Sunshine CoastQueensland
Sunshine Coast Council has been among the more active Queensland councils in monitoring STR compliance given high demand (Noosa adjacency, coastal tourism). Cou…
Active
VictoriaVictoria
The Short Stay Levy Act 2024 (Vic) came into effect 1 January 2025, introducing the 7.5% levy and granting owners corporations new power to ban short-stay accom…
Active
WhitsundaysQueensland
Queensland does not have a state-wide STRA registration framework as of August 2026 (unlike NSW). Operators must self-assess under the Whitsunday Regional Counc…
Active
SydneyNew South Wales
No ban is currently in force. The City of Sydney council is exploring whether bans on short-term rentals could be triggered by low residential vacancy rates und…
Pending

Data updated daily from official government sources.  ·  LawfulStay.com — The authoritative global STR regulations database.  ·  Data Methodology