On 18 September 2024, the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage introduced amendments to the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015, streamlining the way short-term rental accommodation (STRA) is managed across Western Australia.

New STRA Categories Introduced

The updated regulations establish two new land use categories:

• Hosted Short-Term Rental Accommodation: Where the owner or manager resides on-site during guest stays. This replaces the former ‘bed and breakfast’ category and is now exempt from requiring planning approval.
• Unhosted Short-Term Rental Accommodation: Where the property is rented out while the owner lives off-site. This replaces the ‘holiday house’ category and is exempt from planning approval if operated for 90 nights or fewer within a 12-month period. Properties exceeding this threshold must obtain approval and are limited to a maximum of 12 guests per night.

These new definitions are part of the ‘deemed provisions’ of the LPS Regulations, meaning they automatically apply to all local planning schemes and cannot be modified by individual local governments.

Why these amendments are needed

With the amendments now in effect, all local planning frameworks must be updated by 1 January 2026 to reflect the new regulations.

Proposed Changes to the City’s Scheme

To comply with the updated legislation, the City proposes the following changes to Local Planning Scheme No. 3:

• Removal of outdated land uses: ‘Bed and breakfast,’ ‘chalet,’ ‘motel,’ and ‘tourist development’ will be deleted from the Scheme.
• Introduction of new land use definitions: ‘Hosted short-term rental accommodation,’ ‘unhosted short-term rental accommodation,’ and ‘tourist and visitor accommodation’ will be added, with land use permissibility assigned across relevant zones.

Community members are encouraged to review the proposed amendments and provide feedback.

Comments close 5pm Friday 10 October 2025.