Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA)

What is Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA)?

Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) refers to renting out a property, or part of a property, to paying guests for stays of up to three months.

This type of accommodation is commonly booked through online platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.com and is popular among travellers seeking temporary lodging for holidays, business trips, or other short stays.

STRA can be:

• Hosted – where the host lives on the property during the guest’s stay.
• Unhosted – where guests have exclusive use of an entire dwelling, such as a house or apartment

Which situation applies to you?

I want to host guests in my home while I’m there.

Good news: Hosted STRA doesn’t require planning approval, however, check with the City Planning team if this likely to result in more than six persons being resident at the property at any one time.

What you need to do:

• Register on the State STRA Register
• Follow state regulations and comply with any strata or lease requirements. Learn more about hosted STRA.

I want to rent out my entire property (unhosted STRA).

Planning approval is required before you can operate.

Can I apply now?

• Tourism Zone properties: Yes, applications can be lodged
• Residential Zone properties: Most applications cannot yet be processed (see status update above)
• Other zones: Contact us to check

Before applying:

1. Check if your property zone is eligible
2. Review Draft Local Planning Policy 2.2 (Pending endorsement) requirements:

3. Submit your application with the required documents

How to apply | Check if you should wait

Recent Changes to Short-Term Rental Accommodation Rules

Like councils across Western Australia, we’re implementing new State planning regulations to bring consistency and clarity to STRA management.

These changes aim to:

• Provide clear rules that apply fairly across Bunbury

• Support our tourism economy in appropriate locations

• Protect housing availability for long-term residents

• Ensure STRA fits with residential amenity and neighbourhood character

The City is required to align with the State framework, while tailoring local policy to reflect Bunbury’s unique community needs and tourism areas.

Key Changes

• All STRA properties (both hosted and unhosted) must register on the new state-wide register.
• Registration requires compliance with local planning laws.
• If STRA is not exempt or permitted, development approval is required.

What’s Happening in Bunbury

• On 11 November 2025, Council supported Scheme Amendment No.14 to align with the new state framework. This is now with the WA Planning Commission and awaiting the Minister’s decision.
• Council has also endorsed Draft Local Planning Policy 2.2, which will guide future decisions on unhosted STRA. Formal adoption will occur after the scheme amendment is approved.

We can’t control the Ministerial approval timeframe, but we’ll communicate updates as soon as we know more.

Applying for Planning Permission

If you currently operate an unhosted STRA without relevant development approval or are proposing to start one, planning permission will need to be sought from the City.

You will need to submit:

• an unhosted STRA planning application form and appropriate fee

• a completed Operational Management Form

Prior considerations:

1. Confirm that the land use zone where the property is located will allow the approval of Unhosted STRA.
2. Check your proposal will comply with the requirements of Local Planning Policy 2.2 (Pending endorsement).

Important: Residential Zone Properties

If your property is in a Residential Zone, please note that until Scheme Amendment No. 14 is formally approved by the Minister, the City cannot grant development approval for most unhosted STRA applications.

What this means for you:

• We recommend waiting before lodging your application to avoid unnecessary application fees

• You can prepare your documents in the meantime

• Once the Amendment is approved, we’ll process applications as quickly as possible

Not sure if this affects you? Contact our Planning Team before applying.

Further Information

City of Bunbury:

City Planning team: email info@bunbury.wa.gov.au or call us on 9792 7000

This page provides general information only and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Property owners are encouraged to seek independent planning or legal advice for their specific circumstances.