Do you know the local council laws for short-term, Airbnb holiday letting?

Before buying an investment that you intend to use for short-term letting, holiday letting and Airbnb letting on the Sunshine coast, you need to know what the council laws and restrictions are.

Traditionally a residential property was built and zoned for people to live in for long periods of time. A regular home when designed and constructed with different building features included (eg fire warning system) compared to a building that is used for holiday or short-term rentals such as AirBnB, Stayz etc.

Using a house for short term accommodation changes the function of the house and has possible impacts on the surrounding area. Planning regulations require certain properties on Queensland’s popular Sunshine Coast to seek council approval before owners transform their dwellings into short-term rental accommodations.

Council laws and restrictions regarding short-term letting, holiday letting, and Airbnb letting on the Sunshine Coast may vary depending on the specific local government area (LGA) within the region.

Council in some LGAs applied 50% higher rates for short-term lettings as opposed to those charged to their long-term counterparts.

Therefore, it is important to consult with the relevant council in your area for accurate and up-to-date information.

Below are some general guidelines that may apply to short-term letting in the Sunshine Coast region:

Noosa Shire Council
As of April 2021, Noosa Shire Council implemented restrictions on short-term letting, requiring hosts to obtain a permit for properties in specific zones. Hosts are limited to a maximum of 180 nights per year for short-term letting in residential areas.
However, a permit is not required for-

- Units within an on-site managed complex (and managed by the on-site letting pool);
- Holiday houses where the premises is only used by the owner, family or friends for periodic holidays and is not used for commercial gain;
- Where the short-term letting is home hosted (owner resides permanently on site, and lets a bedroom, studio or hosts a student or similar). Traditional bed and breakfast accommodation or rural cabins also fall within this category.

Sunshine Coast Council
Under the Sunshine Coast Councils Planning Scheme, 2014, properties built prior to 2014 would be able to be rented out as a short-term or holiday rental, such as an Airbnb, as long as the dwelling is compliant with regulations and lawful.

Any properties built after 2014, specifically those located in low-density zones currently utilised as short-term accommodation, could be required to gain approval and may need to submit a Material Change of Use (MCU) or Development Approval (DA) application to council to receive approval to utilise the property as a holiday rental or short-term stay.

Other LGAs in the Sunshine Coast region
Each LGA within the Sunshine Coast may have its own specific laws and restrictions on short-term letting. It is recommended to contact the respective council or visit their official website to gather accurate information regarding regulations and requirements in that particular area.

Lastly, it is important to note that state-wide regulations may also impact short-term letting. For example, in Queensland, the State Government introduced new laws in 2019 that require hosts to register their property on the state's Short-Term Accommodation Register if they are offering short-term letting for stays of less than 30 consecutive days.