State Airbnb laws2026 27 sources cited

Queensland Short-Term Rental Laws & Hotel Tax (2026)

Source: AirROI Reviewed by , Founder @ AirROI Rules checked

From 23 official sources, 3 Airbnb help pages and 1 news report. Not legal advice.

The short answer

Queensland Airbnb Laws in Brief

At a glance

Queensland Short-Term Rental Laws at a Glance

State licence required
Yes
Next rule change
Jan 1, 2027

The laws in brief

The rules a Queensland host meets first, each linked to the ordinance, statute or official page it comes from. Details and exceptions follow below.

Queensland Short-Term Rental Laws at a Glance
TopicRule
PermitNo state permit or register3,24
Who can hostA room in the home you live in is treated differently12,22
WhereLetting a whole home usually needs development approval12,18,21,22
Building rulesA body corporate cannot restrict the type of residential use7,17
Night capNo statewide night cap3,4
Minimum stayUnder 3 consecutive months counts as short-term accommodation12,21
PlatformsAirbnb reports host income to the ATO25
SafetyInterconnected photoelectric smoke alarms by 1 January 20278
InsuranceNoosa: A$10 million public liability insurance17
NeighboursNoosa: 24-hour contact person and approval sign17

Your home

Can You Host an Airbnb in Queensland? It Depends on the Home

Whether you can host in Queensland turns on whose home it is and whether you live there.

A second home or investment property let to tourists

Allowed with conditions

Your own home, rented whole while you are away

Allowed with conditions

A room in the home you live in

Allowed with conditions

An apartment in a body corporate building

Allowed with conditions

Permit

Do You Need a Licence for Airbnb in Queensland?

Yes. Queensland hosts need the Council development approval and local law licence from Local councils, for example Noosa Shire Council, the City of Gold Coast and Whitsunday Regional Council. It costs A$1,748.5,12,17,22

Who needs it
Issued by
Valid for
On listings
Platform checks

Fees

Fees
FeeAmount
Noosa application, houseA$1,748 to apply for a short stay letting approval for a house in Noosa (2026-27 schedule).A$1,748
Noosa annual renewal, houseA$800 a year to renew a Noosa short stay letting approval for a house, from 1 July 2026.A$800
Noosa application, unitA$455 to apply for a short stay letting approval for a unit in Noosa (2026-27 schedule).A$455
Noosa annual renewal, unitA$300 a year to renew a Noosa short stay letting approval for a unit, from 1 July 2026.A$300
Noosa application, principal residence (up to 4 times and 60 days a year)A$329 to apply when the house is the host's principal place of residence and is let no more than 4 times and 60 days a year.A$329
Noosa annual renewal, principal residence (up to 4 times and 60 days a year)A$200 a year to renew the principal-residence approval for a house, from 1 July 2026.A$200

Who qualifies

  • The council planning scheme must allow short-term accommodation at the address; the level of assessment depends on the zone.
  • Homes that were lawfully let before a council's cut-off date can keep existing use rights without a new approval.
  • Noosa asks for proof of lawful planning rights, a building classification certificate, pool and smoke alarm safety certificates and a 24-hour contact person within 20 km.
  • Letting part of a home while you live there is treated as a home-based business or bed and breakfast, with its own approval rules.

How to apply

  1. Check the council's planning scheme for the zone and whether the property has existing use rights; the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Whitsunday councils publish guidance.
  2. If development approval is required, lodge a material change of use application for short-term accommodation with the council before letting.
  3. Where the council runs a licence, apply once planning approval or lawful use is shown: Noosa asks for a plan, safety certificates and a 24-hour contact person, and the Whitsundays require a yearly licence.
  4. Meet the approval conditions, such as signage, insurance, a complaints register and a guest code of conduct in Noosa.

Applications go through the official application page .

Permit rules

No state permit or register
A State register has been recommended, not introduced
Some councils add a licence on top of planning approval
Noosa: approval under the short stay local law, renewed every year
Brisbane: no short stay permit
Airbnb reports host income to the ATO

Who can host

What Queensland Cities and Counties Can and Can't Regulate

Letting a whole home usually needs development approval
Existing use rights for homes let before a cut-off date
A room in the home you live in is treated differently
Gold Coast: impact assessable outside seven zone groups
Cairns: short-term accommodation in a house is impact assessable
Sunshine Coast: not supported in low density residential zones
A body corporate cannot restrict the type of residential use

Local rules

Local Rules in Queensland's 6 Largest Airbnb Markets

A state licence doesn't replace local rules. Cities and counties still set registration, occupancy, parking and safety requirements. These are Queensland's largest markets by active Airbnb listings, with the share of each market's listings that display a registration or licence number.

The largest markets and how each registers rentals
MarketLocal registration
Greater Brisbane QueenslandNone
Gold Coast City QueenslandRequired
Sunshine Coast Regional QueenslandNone
Noosa Heads QueenslandRequired
Cairns QueenslandNone
Airlie Beach QueenslandRequired
  1. 1. Greater Brisbane

    Queensland

  2. 2. Gold Coast City

    Queensland

  3. 3. Sunshine Coast Regional

    Queensland

  4. 4. Noosa Heads

    Queensland

  5. 5. Cairns

    Queensland

  6. 6. Airlie Beach

    Queensland

Taxes

Queensland Short-Term Rental Taxes

No tax applies to every Queensland stay: Airbnb collects no occupancy or tourism levy in Queensland, and GST depends on the host's circumstances.

Queensland Short-Term Rental Taxes
TaxRateCollected by
Goods and services tax (GST) 10% where the host is registered for GST; registration is compulsory at A$75,000 of GST turnover10%10,11Host

What the host still handles

Operating rules

Operating Rules for Queensland Short-Term Rentals

No statewide night cap
Under 3 consecutive months counts as short-term accommodation
Noosa: letting up to 4 times and 60 days a year
Noosa: 24-hour contact person and approval sign
Noosa: A$10 million public liability insurance
Gold Coast: party houses are prohibited
Interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms by 1 January 2027
Councils rate short-stay properties in their own category
Short-stay letting can reduce the land tax home exemption

Fines

How to Avoid Airbnb Fines in Queensland

Fines in Queensland fall on hosting without the approvals described above, or outside the rules. With them in hand and the rules followed, none of the fines below apply.

Changes

What's Changed in Queensland's Airbnb Rules, and What's Next

One change is scheduled after October 20, 2026; the most recent rules are listed first.

  1. January 1, 2027 Upcoming
    Smoke alarm deadline for all Queensland homes
  2. September 9, 2026
    Cairns says it is investigating its short-term accommodation rules
  3. July 1, 2026
    Noosa 2026-27 renewal fees start
  4. July 1, 2026
    Penalty unit rises to A$172.70
  5. May 12, 2026 Lapsed
    Brisbane drops its proposed short stay permit
  6. December 9, 2025 Not in force
    Brisbane proposes a short stay permit scheme
  7. July 15, 2025 Not in force
    Sunshine Coast consults on a new planning scheme
  8. August 2, 2023
    State review of short-term rentals completes
  9. February 1, 2022
    Noosa short stay local law starts

Listing data

What Queensland's Listings Show

What officials report

19,773
100

Earnings

What Could a Short-Term Rental in Queensland Earn?

The rules shape the numbers: a permit that costs A$800 a year and a cap of 60 nights a year. For a specific address, the Airbnb calculator estimates revenue, occupancy and nightly rate from comparable listings, so you can test the numbers before applying.

Estimate what a home could earn

FAQ

Queensland Short-Term Rental Laws: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Airbnb legal in Queensland?

Yes. Queensland has no state ban, register or night cap, and the rules for short-term rentals are generally set by local government areas. Most councils require planning approval for letting a whole home, and some add a licence.12,22,24

Do I need a permit or licence for Airbnb in Queensland?

There is no state permit. Council rules vary: Noosa requires an approval renewed every year, the Gold Coast requires a rental accommodation licence on top of development approval, the Whitsundays require a yearly licence, and Brisbane requires no permit.12,14,17,22

Does Queensland have a state register for short-term rentals?

No. A State-commissioned review recommended a centralised registration system and code of conduct, and in August 2023 the Government said it would consult on a register, but none has been introduced.3,4

Do I need council approval to rent out my whole home?

Usually, yes. Letting an entire dwelling to tourists for under 3 consecutive months is short-term accommodation, which on the Gold Coast is code or impact assessable, in Cairns low density residential areas is impact assessable and in the Whitsundays needs approval in all zones, unless the home has existing use rights.12,21,22

How much does short-term rental approval cost?

Fees are set by each council. In Noosa for 2026-27 a house costs A$1,748 to apply and A$800 a year to renew, a unit A$455 and A$300, and a principal residence let up to 4 times and 60 days a year A$329 and A$200.17

Is there a limit on how many nights I can rent my home?

There is no statewide night cap. Noosa Plan 2020 treats short stay letting of not more than 4 times and 60 days a year as accepted development, so any limit comes from each council's planning scheme and approval conditions.4,17

Does Airbnb collect hotel or occupancy tax in Queensland?

No. Airbnb's Australian tax page lists no Queensland levy, and GST of 10% applies only where a host is registered for GST.10,26

Do I need to register for GST as an Airbnb host in Queensland?

You must register once your GST turnover reaches A$75,000. Hosts near the threshold should check with the Australian Taxation Office how their property is treated.10,11

What is the fine for hosting without approval in Queensland?

Using premises without a lawful use is a development offence with a maximum penalty of 4,500 penalty units, A$777,150 at the A$172.70 value from 1 July 2026. On the Gold Coast, regular excessive noise from a short-term rental can cost the owner up to 200 penalty units, A$34,540.1,2,6

Can a body corporate ban Airbnb in my apartment building?

A body corporate cannot make a by-law that restricts the type of residential use of a residential lot, so a ban by by-law is not generally available. Planning approval and council licences still apply.7

Does Brisbane require a short-term rental permit?

No. Brisbane City Council decided on 12 May 2026 not to proceed with its proposed Short Stay Accommodation Local Law, though it still enforces existing local laws and development approval requirements.14,15

What safety rules apply to Queensland short-term rentals?

All existing Queensland homes need interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms by 1 January 2027, and Noosa approvals also require a pool safety certificate, an electrical certificate for smoke alarms and A$10 million public liability insurance.8,17

Method

How These Rules Were Checked

Each rule on this page was checked in October 2026 against the official source cited beside it: the ordinance or statute, the permit office's own pages and the tax authority. Airbnb's help pages are cited on their own only for what Airbnb itself does, such as the taxes it collects and the permit checks it runs, and otherwise only beside an official source; news reports only for when a change was announced. Rules that could not be confirmed on an official page are left out. The Noosa Shire Council and Queensland Fire Department pages were read from Internet Archive copies, and the Whitsunday Regional Council page and the Planning Act 2016 were read in a browser.

Rules change with council votes, court rulings and new state laws, so the page is rechecked every three months and whenever a scheduled change takes effect. It summarizes the rules for information and is not legal advice; the state agency and your city or county has the final word on any application.

Sources

Sources

Each rule above links to the source it comes from. Official ordinances, statutes and government pages come first, then Airbnb's own help pages.

  1. 1. Planning Act 2016 (Queensland) · Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel
  2. 2. Local Law No. 19 (Control of Party House Noise) 2013 · City of Gold Coast
  3. 3. Short-term rental accommodation review · Queensland Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
  4. 4. Short Term Accommodation Review complete · Queensland Ministerial Media Statements
  5. 5. Accommodation approval - Queensland · Australian Business Licence and Information Service, Australian Government
  6. 6. Value of a penalty unit · Queensland Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers
  7. 7. Making by-laws · Queensland Government
  8. 8. Smoke alarms · Queensland Fire Department
  9. 9. Public Ruling LTA000.1.3 The land tax exemption for a home · Queensland Revenue Office
  10. 10. Register for goods and services tax (GST) · business.gov.au, Australian Government
  11. 11. Commercial residential premises and GST · Australian Taxation Office
  12. 12. Short-term accommodation in dwellings · City of Gold Coast
  13. 13. Rental accommodation · City of Gold Coast
  14. 14. Proposed Short Stay Accommodation Local Law 2025 · Brisbane City Council
  15. 15. Proposed short stay permits not proceeding at this time · Lord Mayor of Brisbane
  16. 16. Suburban short stay accommodation to return to rental market · Lord Mayor of Brisbane
  17. 17. Short Stay Letting · Noosa Shire Council
  18. 18. Short-term accommodation: hot planning topics, key issues · Sunshine Coast Council
  19. 19. New Sunshine Coast planning scheme · Sunshine Coast Council
  20. 20. Rating Category Statement 2026-27 · Sunshine Coast Council
  21. 21. Development application for a material change of use for short-term accommodation and a dwelling house, 27 Kewarra Street, Kewarra Beach (Ordinary Meeting 15 April 2026) · Cairns Regional Council
  22. 22. Short-Term Accommodation · Whitsunday Regional Council
  23. 23. Offences and enforcement · Queensland Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
  24. 24. Queensland · Airbnb Help Centre
  25. 25. Responsible hosting in Australia · Airbnb Help Center
  26. 26. Tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Australia · Airbnb Help Center
  27. 27. Airbnb rules under review · Cairns Local News