Short Term Rental Accommodation
(Commercial Holiday Houses)
State Government Requirements
From 1 January 2025 short term rental accommodation (STRA) used for commercial reward is required to be registered with the WA State Government (Consumer Protection) under a State-wide Registration Scheme. To find out more details and what type of STRA is required to be registered please visit following webpage: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-energy-mines-industry-regulation-and-safety/short-term-rental-accommodation-register
Shire of Dandaragan Requirements
Development approval is required under the Shire’s Local Planning Scheme for all forms of unhosted accommodation which is defined by Local Planning Policy 9.12 (the Policy) as: means a dwelling or ancillary dwelling used for the purpose of short-term rental accommodation, without a permanent resident present overnight for the duration of the stay either in the dwelling or ancillary dwelling.
The Policy outlines the following exclusions and exemptions from requiring development approval under the Shire’s Local Planning Scheme as follows:
Exclusions
“House swapping” means a mutual arrangement made between owners of separate properties to ‘swap’ homes for a temporary period and is often for holiday accommodation purposes.
“Housesitting” means a mutual arrangement whereby a person stays and cares for a property whilst the owner is away and can be a commercial or non-commercial form of accommodation.
“Personal use of a holiday house or the sharing of a holiday house with the owner’s family and friends” means the informal and infrequent sharing between family and friends, and the personal use of private holiday houses is considered a non-commercial arrangement.
“Student exchange accommodation” means temporary accommodation whereby students stay with a host family in their home whilst studying.
Exemptions
Hosted accommodation (i.e. bed and breakfast establishments) in a single house (or ancillary dwelling), grouped or multiple dwelling from requiring development approval, provided the maximum number of guests does not exceed four adult persons (or one family) and a maximum of two guest bedrooms. This form of short-term rental accommodation is considered low scale because the host resides on site resulting in a sufficient level of in principle property management and the tourism/commercial use of the property being incidental to the predominant residential use.
Development Applications for STRA
Development applications for STRA are referred to surrounding landowners for period not less than 21 days for comment by potentially affected stakeholders. If an objection is received as result of this process the development application is referred to the next available Shire Council Meeting for a determination.
Development approvals for unhosted STRA are issued on a fiscal year basis, being 1 July to 30 June each year. Should any substantiated complaints received against a given premises remain unmitigated to the Shire’s satisfaction, the Shire reserves the right to not renew a STRA development approval for the subsequent 12-month approval timeframe.
Further Information & Forms
Short - Term Rental Accommodation Policy
Short - Term Rental Accommodation Fact Sheet
Development Application Form
Holiday House Property Management Form