- Registration for all short-term rental accommodation opens today
- 12-months free registration for property owners who enrol early
- Registration to provide accurate data for local governments and better assurance for local residents and STRA users
Stronger regulation of Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) in Western Australia has begun, with the opening of a new register that will allow regulators and communities to keep track of the short stay sector for the first time.
From today, owners can sign up their hosted and unhosted STRA properties to the Consumer Protection-operated register before it becomes mandatory on 1 January 2025. After this time, it will be illegal for unregistered STRA properties to be advertised, including on online booking platforms.
Upon registering, owners will receive a registration number that must be displayed when advertising their properties.
To encourage early registrations, the Cook Government is waiving the initial $250 annual fee for owners who register their STRA properties in between July and September 2024.
Once the new register opens, the public will be able to search properties to see whether they are registered as STRA and verify that a registration number is valid. A heat map of registered STRA properties in WA is also expected to be made available later in the year.
Registrations may be suspended or cancelled if false or misleading information has been provided, while fines of up to $20,000 for an individual and $100,000 for a corporation may be issued for advertising unregistered properties.
Work is also being finalised on changes to planning regulations. Among the changes are a requirement for unhosted STRA properties in the Perth metropolitan area to have development approval if rented for more than 90 nights in a 12-month period, as well as a State-wide development approval exemption for hosted STRA.
From 1 January 2026, STRA properties will be required to demonstrate they meet development approval requirements in order to remain registered.
Further information about the planning changes and STRA register can be found on the WA Government at https://www.planning.wa.gov.au/planning-reform/short-term-rental-accommodation-planning-reforms
Comments attributed to Commerce Minister Sue Ellery:
“This new register will help create a comprehensive picture of the STRA sector in WA by showing us how many properties there are, their locations and how they are being used.
“We urge accommodation owners to sign up as soon as possible – those who register their properties in the next three months will enjoy a year’s free registration until the renewal is due in 2025.”
Comments attributed to Planning Minister John Carey:
“The new STRA register will provide more certainty to local communities and users and will deliver important insight into how we can best regulate and plan for the STRA sector across WA.
“For the first time, local governments will know with confidence how many STRA properties are in their area and where they are located.
“This means they can make informed decisions to manage how they operate in local communities.”
