Every short-term rental in Western Australia — hosted or unhosted — must be registered on the state STRA register before you advertise or take bookings. Registration is separate from council development approval, but you will be asked to declare your approval status when you register.
Last verified 29 August 2026
If you rent out a residential property — or part of one — for stays of less than three months, you need to register. That includes whole-house Airbnb listings, granny flats, spare rooms where you are not present, and holiday homes rented occasionally.
Registration has been mandatory since 1 January 2025. You cannot legally advertise on Airbnb, Stayz, Booking.com or any other platform without a valid registration number from the WA STRA register. Hosted and unhosted properties both need to register — hosted stays are exempt from council development approval, but not from state registration.
For the wider reform timeline and what changed in 2026, see our WA STRA reforms guide.
State registration fees are set by the WA Government and paid by credit card when you complete your application on the STRA Register portal. See the official registration and fees page for current amounts.
| Fee type | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Initial registration | $250 | First time you register a property |
| Annual renewal | $100 | Each year to keep registration active |
Council development approval fees are separate — paid directly to your local government if your property needs one. Our service fee for preparing and lodging a council application is $500 flat, independent of state registration.
You do not upload any documents when registering on the STRA register. The portal is question-based — you answer prompts about your property and declare your development approval status. When you finish, you receive a registration number immediately after payment.
Have this information ready before you start:
Paying the $250 state registration fee does not lodge a council application. If your property needs development approval from your local council, that is a separate process. You can register first and update your DA number later — but since January 2026, properties that need approval must demonstrate compliance to stay registered.
Registration is done online through the WA Government's STRA Register portal. You log in with a My Account (WA Government single sign-on).
Open the official STRA Register →Official WA Government pages: Registration & fees · Register FAQs
Go to the STRA Register website and sign in with My Account. You can create an account with email and password (recommended — supports two-factor authentication) or use a digital identity such as myID.
Choose Individual user if you own the property personally, or Business user if the property is owned by a company, trust, or managed by a business.
Confirm you are the owner or tenant responsible for registration. Enter a nickname for your property, search for and select your address, and answer all questions about hosted/unhosted status, strata, and property management.
You can save and return later — incomplete registrations are deleted after 30 days.
The register asks for your council approval status. Enter the option that matches your situation:
Check your answers on the review screen, then proceed to payment. Pay the $250 registration fee by Visa or Mastercard. Once processed, you receive a confirmation page with your STRA registration number.
Add this number to your Airbnb, Stayz, or Booking.com listing. Platforms are required to verify it before your property can be advertised.
The owner or tenant must commence the registration and enter the property name and address. A property manager can complete the rest on your behalf once you nominate them and they accept the request in their dashboard.
Registration renews yearly at $100 per property. You receive reminders before renewal is due. Letting registration lapse means you cannot legally advertise or take bookings.
If you registered with approval "in progress" or "not obtained", log back in and update your registration once council grants your development approval. Enter your DA number so the register reflects compliant status.
For unhosted properties in Perth metro, the register tracks bookings reported by platforms. You receive notifications at 80 nights and again at 90 nights in your registration year. If you plan to operate beyond 90 nights, you need council development approval before you hit the threshold — not after.
State registration is step one. If your property needs a council development approval, that is step two. Check what your council requires on our council guides, or start a free consultation and we will confirm whether approval applies to your address.
Council approval
State registration is only half the picture. If your property needs a council development approval, we prepare your management plan, lodge the application, and follow it through to determination.
This guide is based on the WA Government's published STRA Register materials and user guide. Fees and requirements may change — always confirm on the official registration and fees page and register FAQs before you apply. Last verified 29 August 2026.
Urban Approval Group