Short-Term Rental Accommodation ("STRA") Register

In response to the 2019 Parliamentary Inquiry “Levelling the Playing Field: Managing the impact of the rapid increase of short-term rentals in Western Australia”, the State Government has introduced initiatives to better regulate the STRA sector, including through the launch of a registration scheme for STRA providers.

Key points

• The STRA Register opened on 1 July 2024.

• From 1 January 2025, registration is mandatory for all STRA premises.

• Registration is for 1 year from the date of registration.

• Fees apply to registration. 

• Fees are waived for those that register their STRA premises by 1 December 2024.

• From 2 December 2024, registrations will be subject to a $250 application fee.

• Renewal is required every 12 months. 

• The fee to renew every 12 months is $100.

What is Short-Term Rental Accommodation?

STRA is the collective name given to premises offered for short-term letting, often through an online booking platform or management agent.  STRA is either hosted (where a permanent resident is present) or un-hosted (where guests have exclusive use of the entire premises).

Popularity

STRA has developed in response to the way we travel and book accommodation.  The success of online booking platforms offering STRA has seen a rapid increase in short-term rentals, with high concentrations occurring in popular tourist locations.  Demand can also be high in localities attracting non-tourism related travel, such as medical, education and business travel.

Types of properties

STRA usually includes properties that have not been developed for traditional accommodation purposes and can include a family holiday home periodically offered as a short- term rental, a property purchased for the sole intent of operating as STRA or a spare bedroom and area within a home, offered to let on a short- term basis.

STRA Register

Under the Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act 2024 (WA), all providers of STRA within WA, both hosted and un-hosted, will be required to register their property by 1 January 2025

Aims of the Register

The register is an initiative to gather information on the STRA sector in WA to enable data driven decision making, provide the community with information about what STRA exists in their area and ensure providers are aware of local laws and planning controls. 

Who must register?

Registration is mandatory for all STRA premises (both hosted and un-hosted) that are rented for less than 3 months. 

Registration number

Once registration is completed, a STRA Registration number is issued for display in a visible location on the advertisement for the STRA premises.

What data does the Register collect?

The STRA Register will capture the number of nights a registered premises is booked for STRA.  If the premises is advertised on a booking platform (eg: Airbnb) these platforms will automatically populate the Register with the bookings taken for the premises.  If bookings are managed independently, information will need to be entered manually into the Register for each booking.

If you don’t register?

If a provider fails to register their STRA, they will not be able to advertise or take bookings for the premises from 1 January 2025.  If a provider is found to be operating STRA without registration, they may be liable for significant penalties.

Exclusions

Categories of STRA specifically excluded from the requirement to register including hotels, motels, serviced apartments, tourist developments and caravan parks.