Western Australia short-term rental registration scheme explained

Last updated 2026-07-26

What is the Western Australia short-term rental registration scheme?

The WA short-term rental accommodation (STRA) register is a state-run online database where owners and operators of short-term rentals, think Airbnb, Stayz, and similar platform listings, must record basic details about their property before they can legally operate. It's administered through the WA Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage in coordination with local governments. The register went live on August 30, 2021 ^[1]. This isn't a licensing scheme in the way a rental letting agent or a bed and breakfast trading license would work. It's closer to a disclosure and compliance-tracking system. WA's approach came out of a 2019 discussion paper and subsequent policy work that tried to balance tourism industry growth against neighbor complaints about noise, parking, and party houses in residential streets ^[1]. The practical effect for a landlord: if you're renting out a property (or even a room) for short stays, typically under 30 days at a time, in WA, you generally need to sort out planning approval status with your local council first, then register the property on the state portal. Skipping either step puts you at risk of fines and platform delisting requests from the state. If you're used to city-specific rental licensing programs elsewhere (say, a US city requiring a rental license and inspection before you can lease long-term), this scheme runs on a different track. It's about short-stay tourist-style accommodation, not standard 12-month tenancies. Long-term rentals in WA are governed by the Residential Tenancies Act 1987, a completely separate framework.

Who has to register a short-term rental in WA?

Anyone letting out residential premises for short stays on a commercial basis, whether it's a spare room, a whole house, a granny flat, or an investment unit booked through a platform, generally falls under the registration requirement. The state's own guidance describes STRA as accommodation offered for a fee, for periods usually less than three months, in a dwelling that isn't the operator's primary hotel or motel business ^[1]. There's a rough two-tier distinction used across many WA local government planning frameworks that mirrors the state's model provisions: hosted STRA (you live there and rent out a room or your whole place occasionally while present or nearby) and unhosted STRA (an entire dwelling rented out with no host present, often an investment property used purely for short stays). Unhosted operations typically draw more planning scrutiny because they function more like a de facto small hotel in a residential zone. If you own multiple properties and run them all as short-term lets, each individual property normally needs its own planning approval status check and its own entry on the register. You don't get to register once and cover a portfolio under one listing. Regional variation matters a lot here. Some WA local governments, particularly in tourist-heavy areas like Augusta-Margaret River or the Shire of Broome, have their own local planning policies layered on top of the state scheme, sometimes with caps on unhosted STRA numbers in certain zones. Always confirm with your specific city or shire's rental licensing or planning office before assuming the state process is the whole story.

How do you register a short-term rental property in Western Australia?

The process runs in two stages: local planning approval (or confirming an exemption applies), then state registration. You cannot skip straight to registering without dealing with the local government side first, because the state register asks you to confirm your planning status as part of the listing. Step one is contacting your local government (city or shire) to find out whether your STRA use is exempt from needing formal development approval, or whether you need to lodge a planning application. WA's state planning policy framework set up a model set of exemption criteria that many councils adopted, but each local government can vary details, so this step has to be done locally, not assumed from a state template. Step two is registering on the WA STRA online register once your planning position is settled. You'll typically need to supply property address, owner or operator contact details, the type of STRA (hosted or unhosted), and confirmation of the planning approval or exemption status. The register itself is the tool at wa.gov.au's short-term rental accommodation page ^[1]. Step three, ongoing, is keeping the listing current. If you sell the property, stop operating it as an STRA, or change from hosted to unhosted use, you need to update or remove the registration. Platforms and the state have shown willingness to cross-check registered addresses against active listings, so a stale or missing registration is the kind of thing that surfaces during a complaint investigation, more than a routine audit.

Do you need council approval as well as state registration?

Yes, in most cases you need both, and the council approval question usually has to be resolved first. WA operates under the Planning and Development Act 2005 framework, and STRA use of a dwelling is treated as a change of use or an ancillary use question under most local planning schemes ^[2]. Whether you need a formal development application depends heavily on your zoning and on whether your local government has adopted specific STRA exemption provisions. Many WA councils, following the state's model approach, exempt hosted STRA (owner present) from needing a planning application in residential zones, while requiring an application for unhosted STRA, especially in higher-density or strata-titled buildings. Strata title adds another layer entirely. If your property is in a strata scheme, the by-laws can restrict or ban short-term letting regardless of what the council or state says. WA's Strata Titles Act 1985 and related strata reform work has specifically addressed short-term letting disputes in strata schemes, since this became one of the most contentious issues for owners' corporations in coastal and CBD apartment buildings ^[3]. The practical order of operations: check your strata by-laws first if applicable, then your council's planning exemption or application requirement, then the state register. Doing it in reverse order (registering with the state before confirming local approval) risks having to unwind bookings or refund guests if the council later tells you the use isn't permitted.

What happens if you don't register your short-term rental in WA?

Operating without registering, or without the required local planning approval, exposes you to enforcement action from either the local government or the state, and potentially both. Local planning enforcement under the Planning and Development Act 2005 can include orders to cease an unauthorized use and infringement penalties that vary by council and by the nature of the breach ^[2]. Because the STRA scheme is relatively new (2021 launch) compared to long-established licensing regimes in other jurisdictions, enforcement patterns are still developing and vary a lot by local government. Some shires, particularly in high-tourism coastal areas, have been more active in following up on unregistered listings found through platform monitoring. Others are still building out compliance capacity. This is exactly the kind of detail where you should confirm with your city or shire's rental licensing or planning office directly rather than relying on general guidance, because fine amounts, notice periods before a fine issues, and whether warnings precede penalties all vary by local government area in WA. Beyond formal enforcement, there's a real practical risk: unregistered STRA operators can face complaints from neighbors that trigger nuisance or noise investigations under local laws, separate entirely from the planning and registration question. A property that's technically registered but generating repeat noise complaints can still end up in front of the council on separate grounds.

How is WA's approach different from other Australian states?

Western Australia	Yes, since Aug 2021 [1]	No dedicated statewide STRA fire code	Planning approval or exemption, varies by LGA
New South Wales	Yes, STRA Register	Yes, mandatory fire safety standard [4]	Zoning and complaints handling
Queensland	No single statewide register	Set by individual council planning schemes	Primary regulator via local law and planning scheme
Victoria	No dedicated STRA state register	No dedicated statewide code	Local council short-stay local laws, some caps in Melbourne	This table is a snapshot based on publicly available program pages as of this writing; every one of these programs gets revised periodically, so treat it as a starting orientation, not a substitute for checking the current rules in your specific state or council. If you're a landlord who operates properties across state lines, the biggest trap is assuming a compliance approach that worked in one state (say, NSW's fire safety standard paperwork) automatically satisfies WA's requirements. It doesn't. Each state's STRA framework has its own document set and its own registration mechanics.

WA's model leans on registration plus local planning control, rather than a single statewide licensing authority with uniform fees and inspection requirements. Compare that to New South Wales, which built a dedicated STRA Register under the Planning Systems SEPP framework administered by the NSW Department of Planning, including a statewide fire safety standard that applies regardless of local council ^[4]. Or Queensland, where short-term letting rules mostly sit within individual council planning schemes without a single dedicated state register. | Jurisdiction | Statewide register | Fire safety standard | Local council role |

What is landlording, and how is it different from running an STRA?

Landlording, in the plain sense, is the business of owning residential property and renting it out to tenants under a lease, collecting rent, handling maintenance, and managing the landlord-tenant relationship over an extended period, typically six or twelve months or longer under a fixed-term agreement, or on a periodic month-to-month basis. A landlord is the legal owner (or an authorized agent acting for the owner) who grants a tenant the right to occupy a property in exchange for rent. Running a short-term rental is a different business model layered on the same asset. You're not entering into a residential tenancy in the traditional sense; you're providing short-stay accommodation, closer in regulatory treatment to hospitality than to standard landlord-tenant law. That's exactly why WA (and most other jurisdictions) regulate STRA through planning and registration schemes rather than through the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 that governs ordinary WA leases ^[5]. Some landlords run both models on the same property at different times of year: long-term tenant during off-peak months, short-term holiday letting during peak season. If you do this, you need to be careful that your registration and planning approval status reflects whichever use is actually happening, and that you're not accidentally running an STRA use while claiming residential tenancy protections, or vice versa. If you're weighing whether to become a landlord in the traditional long-term sense versus running short-term rentals, the honest answer is that the two require pretty different skill sets and different regulatory homework. Long-term landlording in WA means learning the Residential Tenancies Act 1987, bond lodgement rules, and notice periods. Short-term letting means learning your council's planning scheme and the state STRA register. For a broader look at what the traditional landlord role actually involves day to day, see landlord landlords.

How do you become a landlord, and what's actually involved?

Becoming a landlord starts with owning (or having legal authority to lease) residential property, then meeting whatever registration, licensing, or disclosure requirements apply in your city or state before you can legally rent it out. There's no universal license required everywhere; requirements are set locally or at the state level and vary enormously. In many US cities, becoming a landlord for long-term rentals means registering the property with a city rental registry, sometimes paying an annual per-unit fee, and passing a habitability inspection before or shortly after the first tenant moves in. In WA, for standard long-term leases, there's no rental licensing requirement in the way some US cities impose one; the governing framework is the Residential Tenancies Act 1987, which covers bond handling, condition reports, and notice periods, but doesn't require a landlord license ^[5]. The practical steps that apply almost everywhere: confirm the property meets basic habitability and safety standards, get landlord insurance (distinct from a standard homeowner policy, since it typically covers loss of rent and liability from tenant claims), understand your local notice period and eviction process requirements, and set up a system for collecting rent, tracking maintenance requests, and handling bond or security deposit money correctly. If your specific city requires rental registration, licensing, or a pre-occupancy inspection (common across mandatory rental-licensing municipalities in the US), that step usually has to happen before or immediately after your first tenant moves in, not months later. Confirm with your city rental licensing office what the actual deadline and fee structure is, since these details change and vary block by block in some cities.

What is a landlord's legal role, exactly?

A landlord is the party, individual or entity, that owns real property and grants another party (the tenant) the right to occupy and use it in exchange for rent, under either a written lease or an oral/implied agreement. The landlord retains ownership and certain rights (like the right to enter for inspections with proper notice, or to reclaim the property at lease end), while the tenant gains exclusive possession rights during the tenancy term. Legally, the landlord role comes with obligations, more than rights. Nearly every US state's landlord-tenant statute imposes an implied warranty of habitability, meaning the landlord has to keep the unit livable (working plumbing, heat, structural safety) regardless of what the lease says. WA's equivalent sits in the Residential Tenancies Act 1987, which sets out the landlord's repair and maintenance obligations alongside the tenant's obligations ^[5]. A landlord who also happens to run STRA properties wears both hats depending on the specific arrangement: property owner and short-stay operator for the STRA units, and property owner and residential landlord for any long-term leased units in the same portfolio. The rights and duties attached to each are genuinely different, and conflating them is a common, expensive mistake.

What rights do tenants have without a written lease?

Tenants without a written lease still have real legal rights in almost every jurisdiction. An oral or implied tenancy (sometimes called a periodic or month-to-month tenancy created by conduct, like accepting rent) is still a legally recognized tenancy in most US states and in WA, and the tenant is entitled to the same basic protections as someone with a signed lease: habitability, proper notice before termination, and, in many cases, a written record of the tenancy terms that the landlord is required to provide even after the fact. In Western Australia specifically, the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 applies to tenancy agreements whether they're written, oral, or implied, and a landlord is still required to lodge any security bond with the Bond Administrator and provide a property condition report ^[5]. Skipping the paperwork doesn't remove the landlord's obligations; it just means there's less documentation if a dispute arises later, which tends to hurt the landlord's position more than the tenant's. Across most US states, a tenant without a lease still can't be evicted without proper notice (the specific number of days varies by state and by the reason for termination), can't have utilities shut off by the landlord as a pressure tactic, and is still entitled to a habitable unit. For a broader rundown of what protections typically apply, see tenants rights and tenant rights.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entry, inspection, or ending a tenancy?

Notice periods vary significantly by jurisdiction and by the reason for entry or termination, so there's no single universal number, but there are consistent patterns. For routine entry to inspect the property or carry out repairs, many US states require 24 to 48 hours' written or verbal notice, though the specific figure and the acceptable form of notice (written only, or verbal acceptable) differ state to state. In Western Australia, under the Residential Tenancies Act 1987, a landlord generally needs to give a tenant at least 7 days' written notice before entering the property for a routine inspection, and entry has to happen at a reasonable time ^[5]. For ending a periodic tenancy without a specified reason (a no-fault termination), WA law has historically required 60 days' notice from the landlord; always confirm current figures against the current Act text or Consumer Protection WA guidance since notice periods have been amended over time. For US landlords in cities with mandatory rental licensing, the notice period question often gets tangled up with a separate one: how much notice does the city have to give before an inspection tied to a rental license renewal. That's usually set by the specific municipal ordinance, not state landlord-tenant law, and can range from a few days to several weeks depending on the city's inspection scheduling process. This is exactly the kind of detail to confirm with your city rental licensing office rather than assume from a neighboring city's rules. Eviction notice periods (as opposed to entry notice) are their own separate category and depend heavily on the reason: nonpayment of rent typically has a shorter notice period than a no-fault termination in most US states, and the specific day counts vary widely enough that generic advice here would be more misleading than helpful.

What can a landlord look at during a rental inspection?

During a routine or move-out inspection, a landlord (or their agent) can generally check the general condition and cleanliness of the property, confirm smoke detectors and safety devices are working, check for damage beyond normal wear and tear, verify no unauthorized occupants or pets are living there in violation of the lease, and look for maintenance issues like leaks, mold, or pest problems that need addressing. What a landlord typically cannot do during an inspection: go through personal belongings, drawers, or closets beyond what's needed to check for damage or safety issues, show up without the legally required notice except in a genuine emergency (burst pipe, fire, gas leak), or use the inspection as a pretext to harass a tenant or retaliate for a complaint. Who actually conducts the inspection depends on the type. For a routine condition inspection during a tenancy, it's the landlord or their property manager. For a city-mandated rental license inspection (common in many US mandatory rental-licensing municipalities), it's typically a city building or housing inspector, not the landlord themselves, and the standard being checked is code compliance (electrical, plumbing, smoke detectors, egress, structural issues) rather than tenant housekeeping. This is a genuinely different process from a landlord's own move-in or move-out inspection, and mixing the two up causes real confusion for first-time landlords. If your city requires a licensing inspection, getting the property genuinely code-ready before the inspector arrives, more than tidy, is what actually matters; a $79 City Rental License & Inspection Prep Packet walks through the common code items inspectors flag city by city, if you want a structured checklist rather than guessing. For jurisdiction-specific inspection responsibility questions, like who is responsible for a rental property walk-through inspection in California, the answer depends on which inspection: California doesn't have a single statewide mandatory rental inspection law, but individual cities (Los Angeles's Systematic Code Enforcement Program is a well-known example) run their own proactive rental inspection programs through the city's housing department, and the landlord is responsible for scheduling and passing that inspection, not the tenant .

Why do landlords require renters insurance?

Landlords require tenants to carry renters insurance mainly to shift liability and personal property risk away from the landlord's own policy. A standard landlord or property insurance policy covers the building structure and the landlord's own liability, but it generally does not cover a tenant's personal belongings if there's a fire, theft, or water damage, and it doesn't cover a tenant's liability if the tenant accidentally causes damage or an injury to a guest. Requiring renters insurance (often with a minimum liability coverage amount specified in the lease, commonly in the range of $100,000 to $300,000 depending on the landlord and the market) reduces the odds that a tenant's loss turns into a dispute with the landlord over who should have covered what. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has noted that renters insurance policies are relatively inexpensive compared to homeowners policies, with typical average annual premiums well under a few hundred dollars in most markets, which is part of why many landlords find it reasonable to require it as a lease condition . From the landlord's side, a tenant with active renters insurance is also less likely to come after the landlord's own policy or pursue a personal claim against the landlord directly when something goes wrong that wasn't structural, since the tenant's own policy becomes the first line of coverage for their belongings and personal liability. Whether a landlord can legally require renters insurance as a lease condition depends on state and local law; most US states permit it, but a handful have specific rules about how it can be structured or enforced, so this is worth confirming against your specific state's landlord-tenant statute rather than assuming it's universally enforceable exactly as written.

What can't a landlord do in Ohio?

Ohio law, under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321 (the Ohio Landlords and Tenants Act), sets out specific things a landlord cannot do regardless of what the lease says. A landlord cannot shut off utilities, change the locks, or remove the tenant's belongings as a way to force the tenant out without going through the formal eviction (forcible entry and detainer) process in court . This is sometimes called a "self-help eviction," and it's illegal in Ohio and in the overwhelming majority of US states. A landlord in Ohio also cannot retaliate against a tenant for exercising a legal right, like reporting a code violation to a housing inspector or joining a tenant union; Ohio Revised Code 5321.02 specifically addresses retaliatory conduct protections . And a landlord cannot enter the rental unit without reasonable notice except in a genuine emergency; ORC 5321.04 requires landlords to give tenants reasonable notice, generally interpreted as 24 hours in practice, before entering for non-emergency purposes . Ohio landlords also can't discriminate in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act (covering race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability) or Ohio's own state-level fair housing protections, which in some Ohio cities extend further to cover things like source of income in specific municipal ordinances. Always check whether your specific Ohio city has adopted broader protections than the state minimum, since several Ohio municipalities have layered on additional local tenant protections beyond ORC 5321.

Where do you go for the most current WA STRA rules?

The single best starting point is the WA Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage's short-term rental accommodation page, which hosts the actual register and the current guidance on exemptions and requirements ^[1]. From there, your local government's planning department is the second essential stop, since local exemption criteria, fee schedules, and enforcement practices vary by council and change periodically. If your property is in a strata scheme, check the Landgate or WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety strata reform pages for the current state of short-term letting restrictions under strata by-laws, since this area has seen active reform discussion in WA ^[3]. For US-based landlords reading this because you're comparing WA's model against your own city's approach, remember the core lesson translates directly: registration or licensing requirements for rentals, whether long-term or short-term, are set locally or at the state level, they change on their own schedule, and the only reliable source is the specific agency's current published guidance, not a general article (including this one) written at a single point in time. If you're prepping for a rental license inspection in a US city with a mandatory program, working from a current, city-specific checklist matters more than general knowledge; that's the gap the $79 Rental Packet Builder is built to close, organizing the common inspection items by city so you're not guessing what an inspector will check.

Frequently asked questions

When did Western Australia's short-term rental register start?

The WA STRA online register launched on August 30, 2021, run by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage ^[1]. Before registering, hosts generally need to confirm local council planning approval or exemption status first, since the two processes are linked rather than independent.

Does WA require a license to run an Airbnb?

Not a license in the traditional sense; WA uses a registration model combined with local council planning approval or exemption. You typically need to confirm your planning status with your local government, then register the property on the state's STRA register before operating legally ^[1][3].

Is a short-term rental in WA the same as a bed and breakfast?

No. A traditional bed and breakfast is usually a small-scale hosted operation with its own historical planning classification, while STRA covers the broader modern category of platform-booked short stays, hosted or unhosted, that emerged with Airbnb and similar sites. Local planning schemes may treat them differently.

What's the difference between hosted and unhosted STRA in WA?

Hosted STRA means the owner or a resident manager lives on-site or nearby while guests stay; unhosted STRA means the whole dwelling is rented out with no host present. Many WA councils apply lighter planning requirements to hosted STRA and stricter requirements, sometimes a full development application, to unhosted STRA ^[3].

How to become a landlord if you've never rented a property before?

Start by confirming any city or state rental registration, licensing, or inspection requirements where the property sits, get landlord insurance, learn your state's notice period and habitability rules, and set up systems for rent collection and bond handling. Requirements vary enormously by city and state, so check locally before assuming a general process applies.

Who is responsible for a rental property walk-through inspection in California?

The landlord is responsible for scheduling and passing any city-mandated proactive rental inspection, like those run under Los Angeles's Systematic Code Enforcement Program through the city's housing department ^[7]. California has no single statewide rental inspection law; individual cities run their own programs.

What is landlording as a business?

Landlording is the business of owning residential property and leasing it to tenants for rent, handling maintenance, collecting rent, and managing the tenancy relationship over time. It differs from running a short-term rental, which is regulated more like hospitality than standard landlord-tenant law in most jurisdictions.

What is a landlord, legally speaking?

A landlord is the property owner (or an authorized agent) who grants a tenant the right to occupy real property in exchange for rent, under a lease or an oral/implied agreement. The landlord retains ownership rights and specific obligations, like maintaining habitability, set out in state landlord-tenant statutes.

What rights do tenants have without a signed lease?

Tenants without a written lease still have a legally recognized tenancy (oral or implied) in nearly every US state and in WA, entitling them to habitability, proper notice before termination, and other standard protections. Lack of paperwork doesn't remove the landlord's legal obligations, it just weakens documentation if a dispute arises ^[6].

Why do landlords require renters insurance?

Requiring renters insurance shifts personal property and liability risk away from the landlord's own policy, since standard landlord insurance doesn't cover a tenant's belongings or a tenant's liability for accidental damage or guest injuries. Premiums are typically low, making it a low-cost requirement for tenants ^[8].

How much notice must a landlord give before entering a rental?

This varies by jurisdiction. WA's Residential Tenancies Act 1987 generally requires at least 7 days' written notice for a routine inspection entry ^[6]. Many US states require 24 to 48 hours for routine entry, but the exact figure and required notice format differ by state, so confirm your specific state's statute.

What can't a landlord do in Ohio?

Ohio landlords cannot perform a self-help eviction (shutting off utilities, changing locks, removing belongings) without going through court, cannot retaliate against a tenant for reporting code violations, and must give reasonable notice, generally treated as 24 hours, before non-emergency entry, all under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321 ^[9].

Do WA short-term rental strata units face extra restrictions?

Yes, potentially. Strata by-laws can restrict or prohibit short-term letting independent of council planning approval or state registration. Check your strata scheme's specific by-laws before assuming state registration alone clears you to operate, since strata reform in this area has been active in WA ^[4].

Sources

1. Government of Western Australia, Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage: WA's STRA online register launched August 30, 2021 and describes registration requirements
2. Western Australian Legislation, Planning and Development Act 2005: STRA use requiring change of use or development approval is governed under WA's Planning and Development Act 2005
3. Western Australian Legislation, Strata Titles Act 1985: Strata by-laws under the Strata Titles Act 1985 can restrict short-term letting independent of council or state rules
4. Western Australian Legislation, Residential Tenancies Act 1987: WA's Residential Tenancies Act 1987 governs bond lodgement, notice periods, and landlord entry requirements for standard tenancies
5. Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 5321, Landlords and Tenants: Ohio law prohibits self-help evictions, retaliatory conduct, and unreasonable entry without notice under ORC 5321.02 through 5321.04