FAQs
What is Amendment No. 61?
Amendment No. 61 is a proposed set of changes to the City’s Local Planning Scheme No. 21 (LPS21) to ensure the City’s planning framework meets State government requirements for short-term rental accommodation.
In brief, the changes proposed are updating land use definitions and deleting superseded terms. In addition to the State changes, the City is proposing to prohibit unhosted short-term rental accommodation in identified residential areas of the City.
What is short-term rental accommodation?
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 in duration. Any period of stay over three months is considered long term and is not subject to the same rules or restrictions. STRA is either hosted - where the host lives on the property during the short-term stay, or unhosted - where guests have exclusive use of an entire dwelling, for example a whole house, villa or apartment. Unhosted STRA is proposed to be subject to exclusion areas in identified Residential areas of the City.
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Why are the changes being proposed?
The State’s recent changes to the state planning framework are required to be adopted by local governments by January 2026. The exclusion areas are in addition to state changes and have been proposed to help address the potential for short-term rental accommodation to impact on the availability of long-term housing stock within the City. Unhosted STRA currently equates for 7.8% of City housing stock, compared to the 1.6% national average. While unhosted STRA is an important component of the tourism product range, it must be balanced with the need to provide long-term accommodation for residents. The exclusion area seeks to secure long term housing in identified residential areas while still providing for unhosted STRA in areas of higher tourism amenity. The proposed changes align with the recently adopted Local Planning Policy 4.1 – Unhosted Short Term Rental Accommodation (LPP 4.1). Further information on the STRA framework in the City, including the new policy, can be found here.
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What happens if I already have an approved unhosted STRA?
Amendment No. 61 is open for consultation and is subject to Council and Minister approval.
If the amendment is approved as proposed, landowners in the exclusion area with an existing unhosted STRA approval will be allowed to continue to operate however no new approvals will be granted.
Existing unhosted STRA approvals run with the land. In the situation where a property is sold to new owners, the existing approval will still apply, although minor updates may be required for any Operational Management Plan.
Can I still apply for unhosted short-term rental accommodation if I am in a proposed exclusion area?
Yes, however any applications will be assessed against the provisions of LPP 4.1 and the proposed exclusion area and are unlikely to be supported.
How can I have my say?
Submissions are open from 28 May to 9 July 2025 and can be made using the submission form provided on this page.
All submissions will be considered and inform any modifications made to Amendment No. 61 prior to final adoption.
How long will the process take?
Following the end of the 42-day consultation period, the City will review all submissions and present the amendment back to Council for approval. Council may choose to make further modifications at this stage. Subject to Council approval, the final decision maker is the WA Minister for Planning who can choose to approve, refuse or approve with modifications. It is anticipated for final adoption to occur in late 2026.
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