The State Government has finalised amendments to the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 (LPS Regulations) introducing new planning requirements for Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) properties across Western Australia.
The amended planning regulations are part of the State Government’s suite of STRA reforms, which aims to deliver fairer and more consistent regulation of the sector.
The key changes introduced on 18 September 2024 include:
- state-wide planning exemptions for hosted STRA;
- new planning exemptions for un-hosted STRA in the Perth metropolitan area where the owner does not intend to rent their property out for more than 90-nights within a 12-month period;
- regional local governments (including Peel) will still have the flexibility to determine planning approval requirements for un-hosted STRA based on local conditions and needs;
- new definitions to be introduced into all local government planning schemes which deal with STRA; and
- revised tourism land uses that can be adopted into local government planning schemes.
The changes do not include limitations or ‘caps’ on the number of nights a property can be leased on the short-term market in WA.
STRA owners and operators should contact their local councils about the new planning regulations and their requirements.
More details on the new planning requirements are available at: Short-Term Rental Accommodation Planning Reforms (www.wa.gov.au)
