policy
Queensland Short Term Rental Accommodation Bill 2026 to Require Registration for Sunshine Coast Holiday Properties
The bill will require owners of an estimated 4500 Sunshine Coast short term rentals to register with local councils and pay annual fees from 1 July 2027.
How we reported this
The Queensland Short Term Rental Accommodation Bill 2026 passed the state parliament on 2 July and mandates registration for all properties advertised on platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com for stays under 90 days.
The legislation responds to sustained pressure on housing supply in coastal electorates where short term lets have grown rapidly since 2020. Sunshine Coast Regional Council data submitted to the parliamentary committee showed listings increased from 2800 in 2019 to 4500 by March 2026.
Effects on residents and operators
Property owners who rent out rooms or entire homes for more than 30 days a year must pay a $450 annual registration fee to the council and submit quarterly occupancy reports. Tenants in long term rentals may see fewer properties converted to holiday lets, while operators of established holiday homes will face new compliance costs passed on through higher nightly rates. Backpacker hostels and caravan parks fall outside the registration threshold.
Local real estate agents report that 620 properties currently listed for permanent rental on the Sunshine Coast changed to short term use between January 2024 and June 2026. The bill allows councils to apply a separate levy of up to 2 per cent of gross revenue, with funds directed to affordable housing programs administered by the Department of Housing.
The 2026-27 Queensland Budget Paper No. 3 allocates $4.8 million over three years for a state wide compliance unit within the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport to monitor platform data sharing. Sunshine Coast Regional Council projects receipt of $1.1 million in the first year from registration fees alone, according to its submission to the parliamentary committee.
Implementation timeline
Regulations under the act will be finalised by the end of September 2026. Platforms must begin collecting owner registration numbers from 1 January 2027, with penalties of $10 000 per listing applying from the following July. Council officers will begin audits of high volume hosts in Maroochydore and Caloundra from October 2027.