policy
Sunshine Coast Voters Decide October Rules Limiting Holiday Rental Approvals
Voters across the Sunshine Coast will decide in October on limits to short-term rental approvals that directly shape housing supply in suburbs such as Maroochydore and Caloundra.
How we reported this
The October referendum on short-term rental regulation will let Sunshine Coast ratepayers vote on new caps for holiday letting licences in designated coastal zones. The measure targets properties listed on platforms for fewer than 90 days a year and applies to postcodes 4558, 4551 and 4553. It follows passage of the Queensland Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act 2025, which requires councils to hold binding local polls before enforcing tighter controls.
Statewide pressure for the vote stems from repeated council requests after the 2024 housing audit showed Sunshine Coast rental vacancy rates at 1.2 per cent. The legislation states that any approved cap must be reviewed every three years and cannot exceed a 20 per cent reduction in existing approvals without further polling.
Local housing and jobs impacts
Residents in Maroochydore report that holiday lets now occupy 22 per cent of apartments within 500 metres of the beachfront. A cap would require owners to choose between long-term leases or removal from booking sites. Policy analysts note this shift could add several hundred dwellings to the permanent rental pool, while local advocates note possible reductions in casual hospitality shifts at nearby resorts.
Further west, households near the Sunshine Coast University Hospital expansion site already face median weekly rents of $620. Any increase in long-term stock from the referendum outcome would affect workers at the hospital and the adjacent university campus who commute daily from Caloundra.
Evidence and next steps
The Productivity Commission has found that short-term rentals in comparable coastal regions lifted median rents by up to 9 per cent between 2022 and 2025. The Sunshine Coast Regional Council 2026 budget paper allocates $480,000 for referendum administration, including postal voting packs to all 148,000 enrolled electors.
Ballot papers will ask a single yes-or-no question on whether to limit new approvals to 12 per cent of total residential stock. The Electoral Commission of Queensland will begin counting on 19 October, with results declared within five days. Any approved limits take effect from 1 January 2027.