Brisbane City Council is proposing major changes that could impact hundreds of property investors using short-term rental platforms like Airbnb and Stayz.
In this episode, Melinda and Scott break down what the new Short Stay Accommodation Local Law 2025 means, who will be affected, key dates to know, and how to prepare before the July 2026 enforcement deadline.
Whether you’re already operating a short-term rental or planning to buy with this strategy in mind, this episode will help you avoid costly mistakes and give you clear next steps.
You’ll learn:
- Which zoning types may no longer allow short stays
- What the new permit system involves
- Fines of up to $140,000 for non-compliance
- What investors should be doing right now
Don’t wait until it’s too late, get informed and get prepared.
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Transcript
0:21: Hi everyone, and welcome back to another episode of the Brisbane Property podcast with Scott and Melinda Jannison, and an interesting one today regarding Brisbane City Council and short-term rentals.
0:33: That’s right, we are going to be talking about Brisbane’s Airbnb and short stay accommodation crackdown.
0:41: These are new.
0:43: City Council permit rules that are likely commencing on the first of July 2026.
0:49: So if you own a property and you are currently renting it out as a short-term or short stay accommodation,, option, that is through Airbnb or, other sort of platforms like Stays, this could actually impact you.
1:07: Additionally, if you are a property investor and you are considering this as an option, To increase the income or the potential rental return on the property that you’re looking to buy, this may also impact you.
1:22: So this information is critical before you make those investment decisions.
1:26: So I hope you find this valuable.
1:28: I actually had an inquiry recently talking to me about an investment property, looking to put it on the short-term rental market.
1:36: And I said keep an eye out for this episode, and we’ll deliver all the information, so hopefully we can give enough information here to make you, sorry, not make you, but to help you and assist you in what you need to do and what you need to think about, and I’d probably, before we start, I’d probably say think about it pretty soon.
1:53: Absolutely, think about it very soon, because these announcements have been made.
1:58: Although it’s not formally approved, it’s likely to come through and be legislated very, very soon.
2:04: But you need to start thinking about how you are going to, navigate these changes if you are already in the market, and, relying on short-term accommodation to provide you with rental income for the property that you own.
2:19: this is a major crackdown, to be honest, and it does only apply to properties within the Brisbane City Council region.
2:26: So, this, we’re not talking about Greater Brisbane, we’re not referencing properties in the Moreton Bay.
2:31: Shire in Ipswich, in Redlands, or in Logan, it is relative to the Brisbane City Council region only, so I want to be very specific about that upfront.
2:40: So a little bit of a summary on it, and we’ll go through it in more detail.
2:43: Obviously, as, as you said, Brisbane City Council have announced a crackdown on short-term accommodation, things like Airbnb stays and similar to that.
2:53: So including a permit system, a new permit system, a three breach policy, a tough.
2:58: , with, with tough enforcement, from 1st of July 2026, many operators may, will, will need, a permit, and some homes in low and low medium residential zones may need development approval, which is a big one, and, and be forced to stop operating their short-term.
3:19: So it’s a, it’s a big decision and especially for those people, that play in the short-term rental side of things.
3:25: Yeah, so what we want.
3:26: To do in this podcast, really, is to explain what’s actually changing, who is going to be affected or impacted, some of the key dates around the proposed changes, and what to check in the Brisbane City Plan, to ensure that your property is, is protected, especially if you are relying on this particular strategy, because you don’t want to be up for fines, and you don’t want to be breaking laws.
3:54: In the event that you’re not aware of this change in policy.
3:57: So let’s get into it in a bit more depth and help people who’s affected and what sort of properties as well.
4:03: So, let’s jump into it in a bit more detail.
4:05: Yeah, and I think the biggest thing to be aware of here is that there are many people, maybe you own property in a residential area and that residential area is zoned, low density residential, or maybe it’s a home, and you have been relying on families.
4:21: That come to holiday and stay for maybe 1 to 2 weeks at a time, and you have that property listed on Airbnb.
4:28: if that is your situation, these rules will impact you, because you may not be able to keep operating your Airbnb business in this way.
4:39: So we’re gonna unpack all of the details around that.
4:41: And also, sorry, just before we do jump into too much detail, this is general information, OK, so it’s not legal or town.
4:48: Planning advice from us.
4:50: so I would strongly recommend that you always confirm your specific situation, with any, with the council or your, planning a town planning advisor as well.
5:01: So the law is short stay accommodation Local Law 2025, and it is relative to the Brisbane City Council.
5:09: So the key point is that council have proposed what they call a permit system for short-stay accommodation.
5:16: , basically, people that operate Airbnbs will need to register their property, and they then will need to abide by rules to operate that property as an Airbnb or short stay accommodation provider.
5:31: So that’s basically really one of the, the key things that is important for property owners, landlords to understand.
5:39: , it’s likely that more than 500 operators are going to be impacted, so that’s, there’s going to be a lot of people that, this law does, apply to.
5:51: And one of the key components as to why council are doing this is they believe that, that property owners are actually, locking up some of the supply for the long-term rental market, and they’re wanting to release some of that supply back to the long-term.
6:08: rental market.
6:09: So, in actual fact, could this be a good thing for the vacancy rates?
6:15: Could that mean more properties become available for tenants, for long-term accommodation?
6:19: And the answer to that is, that is the intent.
6:22: That is the intent behind these proposed changes.
6:25: So, basically, if you are, a property owner in low density residential zoning areas, those are areas designed for, housing, and residential areas.
6:37: Right now, you would not comply with the new law, you would, you would have to apply to council for a development permit, for a change of use, which is unlikely to be supported based on the, the local planning laws that are going to be in place, but you would have to apply to seek council’s approved approval to keep operating as a short stay accommodation provider.
6:59: Yeah, and council’s also stated that their goal is also to protect urban amenities, so.
7:04: You know, noise, parties, disruption, those types of things, as well as the, as you mentioned, bringing some homes back onto that long term rental pool and look, there’s not been The well, there, there has been a lot of complaints that I’ve certainly read in, in some news sources about, you know, big parties, parents that, perhaps rent some of these accommodation, places for parties that their, their children have, or even, you know, holidaymakers that, that rent these, these properties, and then, you know, cause disruption for local residents.
7:39: this is what council’s trying to crack down on.
7:42: a lot of those property owners also, Experienced property damages and loss as a result of this type of behavior, but more importantly, this is actually about the neighborhood and ensuring that people that buy in a residential area, actually have the right to live in a peaceful environment, and then they don’t expect that they’re going to have people coming and going as short-term holidaymakers in their local neighborhood, and, and that’s the intent of the policy.
8:07: So, so the timeline on this, obviously we’re talking about it now, but just to give you a bit of an idea of timeline.
8:13: , so public consultation is open from the 12th of December 2025 to the 16th of February 2026.
8:21: So get in early.
8:22: By the time this podcast is released, there won’t be much time left if you are wanting to have your say, and it is important that if it affects you, that you do have your say.
8:33: Obviously, you can have your say one way or another, whether you’re in support of this local, law or not, you have the right to put forward your submission.
8:43: The proposed local law, it’s intended to commence on the 1st of July 2026, and the permits would be required from that commencement date as well.
8:53: That’s right.
8:54: And if you’re wanting to actually submit a proposal or, or provide some public comment, you can go to the.
9:02: Brisbane City Council website, and you can look up the proposed changes to short-term accommodation providers, and you’ll find all of the information that, you need.
9:12: We may even pop that in the show notes for people for very easy access, because I think that’s going to be very important for people to be able to understand what they need to do, and where they need to go.
9:23: So then obviously council will be messaging and also points to to some operators.
9:28: , being expected to return properties to the long-term market by the 30th of July 2026.
9:34: So basically, council will be contacting people that, perhaps are already operating their properties as short-term accommodation, providers.
9:43: They’ll be advising them that, they either need to get the local permits in place, perhaps obtain development approval to continue operating in that way, or that they’ll need.
9:54: To return their property to the long-term market.
9:56: So perhaps we could see more properties become available towards the end of the financial year to, to that long-term rental market, but time will tell.
10:05: And as we mentioned earlier, it, it’s proposed law, local law, it still needs the state government to sign it off.
10:11: Yeah, 100%.
10:12: It’s not actually in place right now, but if it does affect you, you’ve got a short window of opportunity to have your say, which is why we’ve brought forward.
10:20: This podcast to help people understand what they can do if they are impacted by this proposed legislation.
10:27: But also, if you are in support of this legislation, proposed legislation, you can also have your say, and I think it’s important to hear both sides of the story.
10:36: And I think, having said that, if it’s not signed off, I would be prepared and be organized that it might end up getting signed off as well.
10:43: So, as we, as we, we’ve said so many times.
10:46: You’re better off being prepared and being organized, and understanding the position you’re in, if this involves, if you’re involved in, the short-term rental side of things.
10:54: So what exactly, I guess, creates a short-term rental?
10:58: Basically, short stays are stays less than 90 days at a time.
11:04: So, that does include Airbnb stays that might be, nightly or weekly.
11:09: If it is less than 90 days, it’s captured by this law.
11:12: And In which case, if you are renting out a property for less than 90 days at a time, you will likely need a permit under this new proposed law.
11:21: So, the permit features that have been proposed by council include the fact that any permit that you actually obtain will only be valid for a period of 12 months, so you will need to reapply or extend that permit every 12 months.
11:36: It needs to be renewed annually.
11:38: So it becomes extra administration for property owners that are relying on short-term accommodation.
11:45: You must provide house rules to any guests that are going to be using your property.
11:51: This is going to be a condition of the permit, and the permit must be displayed in the property, and in all advertisements that go onto things like Airbnb or Stays.
12:04: So when you are advertising your property, for short-term, renting, you must display your permit on your advertisements.
12:11: So that’s going to be a very quick way for people to see whether you do hold a permit or not, because it’s going to be a requirement of that listing.
12:19: A couple of other things in the in the features as well as a 24/7 contact person must be nominated, and they must be acknowledged, they must acknowledge complaints within 60 minutes.
12:31: And report any actions taken within 24 hours as well.
12:34: Yeah, so that’s really interesting, because if you’re a landlord and perhaps you’re not even in Brisbane, you need to nominate a, a, a contact person and respond to a complaint within 60 minutes, and that may be at 2:00 a.m. in the morning, at 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon, and then you have to lodge what action’s been taken within 24 hours.
12:54: So it really is putting the onus back on the property owner to manage the, the tenants.
13:00: Or rather, the guests that they have in some of these short-stay accommodation places.
13:04: Also, insurance, so you must hold a public liability insurance for the duration of each booking as well.
13:10: Yeah.
13:11: And now, look, it’s not going to be a, you know, one strike and you’re out system that council have proposed.
13:17: They’ve proposed a stepped enforcement approach.
13:20: And what do we mean by this?
13:21: Basically, if there is a complaint that is received as a result of a guest staying in your short-term accommodation,, there’s going to be education provided, there’s going to be 3 warnings provided, but in serious cases, it can lead to prosecution as well.
13:38: So this is not to be taken lightly.
13:40: This is something that will impact many people, so it must be taken seriously.
13:45: So obviously when it comes to permit, sorry, permits and planning, I mean the permit’s one piece, but on some properties you may also need development approval.
13:56: Under Brisbane City Council Plan 2014.
13:59: Yeah.
13:59: Let me just dive into this a little bit, because this comes into some of the town planning, implications, if you like.
14:06: So, council’s effectively saying that short-term accommodation is generally supported in areas that are designed for tourism, for higher density living, and areas that are also zoned for tourist accommodation or visitor accommodation.
14:21: So, These areas are typically areas that are in and around the CBD and inner-city locations.
14:29: So this is where there’s a lot of services, there’s easy links to transport, and there’s a lot of short-term, accommodation providers already.
14:37: So, these are the sorts of areas where it’s likely that you may not already need a development, application, because the area is already zoned for short-term stays.
14:50: The other thing though, is that if you are in an area that is designed for low density residential, so that might be an area that’s zoned low density residential, character residential, or low to medium density residential, and the intent of that area is for residential purposes, not higher density living or tourism or visitor accommodation.
15:12: This is where, You may not actually get a permit unless you obtain a development application, and this is where you’ll need to seek town planning advice if you are unsure.
15:23: There’s things to consider on that as well, so once you go into those areas, you’ve, you must consider all your overlays.
15:29: So you, you’ve got the things like flood overlays, Because, I mean, they can actually change your development approval and whether you can actually get a development approval and comply with that as well.
15:39: So that’s where you need that planning advice and potentially the development approval side of things.
15:45: Yeah, and I think council really are focusing more on, you know, the land zoning and the intent of the land zoning, Because they’re really trying to target people in those low density residential areas, or in the low to medium density density residential areas, that’s the land that’s zoned for a particular use.
16:03: many operators in these areas may need a development approval, or they’ll simply need to cease operating as short-stay accommodation providers, and I know that there will be many people impacted by this change, regardless of how your Airbnb or short.
16:18: Stay accommodation has run in the past, it might, you might never have had any complaints, but this will affect you if, if it is something that, you know, your property sits within one of these zones.
16:29: Yeah, I, I think that’s the, the big risk group.
16:31: So the, the group that’s exposed, as I was talking about, you could lose your ability to run the Airbnb, which obviously affects your income, your cash flow, that can completely change.
16:42: Or you may, you may need to pivot, and you might need to go to a long-term.
16:45: Leasing side of things, which is a completely different accommodation model as well.
16:49: Yeah, and I, I think it, it, it’s probably concerning for some people, perhaps that have purchased investment properties with the intent at the time of purchase to, to lease in the short-term accommodation, because they may have provided cash flows, and scenarios based on those short-term leasing, arrangements, or short-term accommodation provider, income levels.
17:10: That will change, because Property investors, when you do lease a property, on that long-term market into the general tenancy pool, you’ve got a long-term tenant, but potentially the rate per week or per month is, is going to be lower than it would be if you’re renting the property by the day or, or by the week.
17:28: So it is important for people to understand that.
17:30: Now, council will enforce this.
17:33: Obviously, just be aware, I mean, there, there’s a 3 strike breach pathway where council may revoke your permit.
17:39: , proposed fines ranges from 5 penalty units, for some of the spot on fines up to 800 on the spot fines up to 850 penalty units, if heard in court.
17:51: So, so council, they will enforce things and make sure that it is really, res they really want to push this.
17:59: Point forward and, and restrict it as, as they’re planning.
18:02: Just to make sense of what the penalty points actually mean, council’s materials that we’ve read have quoted fines of up to $141,865 based on the Queensland penalty unit value that they referenced.
18:20: Now that’s a significant fine if you are caught doing the Wrong thing.
18:23: That is, if you are caught without a permit, or if you are caught without a development approval in place, big fines are at stake, so it’s important that that property owners are aware of this.
18:35: And certainly for property investors looking for any, you know, short-term uplift in income, you must be aware of these, these proposed changes coming, because I certainly wouldn’t be purchasing property in low.
18:46: Density residential zones, or low to medium density residential zones, and hoping that you can actually rent it out on short-term accommodation, provider websites, because this will impact you, and you certainly need to know that before making a purchase in the next 6 months.
19:01: Especially if the council’s looking to, expose, expose, you know, owners and, and fines of more than $140,000 without a permit.
19:09: So, it’s not, as we talked about, it’s not a, a watch and wait scenario.
19:14: , if you’re, you’ve got short-term or you, or you’re looking at that, it’s something you need to actually have a part of your strategy and, and do your homework and get that, get that all in place.
19:23: , absolutely.
19:25: Look, I do think that, it’s important to emphasize why is council doing this, It’s not actually about making more money, it’s not because they’re saying that Airbnb has caused a crisis, it’s actually about the amenity of the neighborhood, so, you know, the noisy behavior of some guests does impact on the quiet enjoyment of neighborhoods.
19:48: it’s also about certainty, it’s creating rules around, Where and what can be used for short-term accommodation.
19:55: Remember, this is only something that’s really come into effect in recent years, and, and therefore, council are just catching up with, well, how are we going to govern the use of properties for short-term accommodation.
20:08: So they’re bringing those rules in retrospectively, but the, the whole purpose is to provide that certainty and clarity.
20:15: but also, this is about directing that short-term, accommodation.
20:21: , to the areas that are most suitable for that purpose, and, and there are many properties that are available in those higher density locations, or inner city or near inner city locations, where it’s, it’s likely that there’s going to be much less impact, but it’s those properties.
20:38: That are being considered for short stay in quiet residential areas that are going to be impacted most.
20:43: So let’s do a bit of a rundown on what people, you know, what should property owners do now.
20:49: So I, so I think the first thing you need to do is you work out your zoning.
20:52: Yes, and your overlays.
20:53: So you can go to city plan online.
20:55: , and confirm exactly what zone you’re in, and whether there’s any overlays that, that apply, especially flood overlays, that’s a big one.
21:04: Yeah, look, and, and look, the flood overlays are really only, most people would already know that, that’s only gonna impact you if you try to go for a development approval, and to be honest, they’re not gonna be as, as.
21:14: Concerned about flood impact as they are about the actual zoning.
21:17: So, ring council, as well, that’s another option available to you if you do have a property that’s in, the Brisbane City Council region that you are intending to rent out on short-term accommodation, or you already do, ring council and ask them for zoning, if you don’t know how to navigate the city plan online.
21:33: they’ll be able to tell you.
21:33: They’ll be able to put you in touch with a town planner at council, who’ll be able to help you understand, the, the zoning for your property.
21:44: Separate, the, the next thing that you need to actually do is, is understand that, You may not just need a permit, but you may need the planning approval or the development approval, and you will know that, if you take step one, and that is to understand the zoning of the land.
22:03: And if it is, if it’s not a high density zoning, or a zoning that Accommodates tourism or short stay accommodation, you may be at risk, and that’s another conversation that you can have with a council town planner if you do ring the Brisbane City Council, and their number is available on the website.
22:20: Yep, and I think review your modeling, so your operating model, so as we touched on earlier, can you realistically provide a 24/7 contact that can respond within 60 minutes?
22:31: , and do you have the systems for house rules, incident logs, insurance, and, and compliant management?
22:37: That, that’s huge.
22:38: I mean, even if you can go through without planning approval and you can get the permit, you still need to comply with this, this sort of things to run the property.
22:46: That’s right.
22:47: So you need to plan for that now, even if you find out that you have the, the compliant zoning, to obtain the permit, you’re going to have to provide this additional documentation, and then you’re going to actually have to run.
22:59: , your Airbnb in a more professional way, having these systems and processes in place, as well as a 24/7 contact person in place, and this is all going to be a requirement of the permit before council allows you to continue to operate that way.
23:15: So start thinking about this and planning now.
23:18: I, I’d do a Plan B.
23:19: That’s, that’s another one.
23:20: Don’t stick with Plan A.
23:22: Look at Plan B, run a bit of a cash flow on Plan B and have a look at what’s gonna happen if you switch then to long-term leasing.
23:28: , so if that’s going to happen in mid 2026, you need to actually do a bit of a forecast on that and see what that’s gonna look like as well.
23:36: Yeah, and the best way to approach that is to contact local property managers to obtain a rental appraisal.
23:43: That is, how much would my property rent for in the long-term, rental market.
23:49: if you need a recommendation for a quality property manager, feel free to reach out to stream.
23:54: property buyers, and, we can point you in the right direction.
23:59: Basically, if you know what your property will rent for on the long-term rental market, you’ll be able to compare that annual income, with what your annual income may have been in the past, using that short-term accommodation provider like Airbnb.
24:13: And then you’ll be able to run your cash flows, because obviously, you’ll be assessing the income that you’re generating from that asset.
24:19: Alongside the expenses associated with running that asset, so definitely something to keep in mind.
24:25: And I think, as you said at the very, very start, engage in the consultation.
24:29: I mean, it’s open now, and it runs and it closes till the 16th of February, so that window of opportunity to, to be involved in it and any submissions, now is your opportunity.
24:40: Absolutely.
24:40: So if it’s something you’re involved in, now is your opportunity to be involved in that consultation.
24:45: And that window will close pretty, pretty soon, 16th of Feb.
24:48: It’s not far away.
24:49: That’s right.
24:50: And remember, it is still in draft format.
24:52: This is not confirmed legislation, but we did want to bring it to everyone’s attention now before it becomes confirmed legislation, because it is very likely that it will be supported.
25:02: So, take the time to engage in the consultation, provide your insights, head to the council website to, to pop forward your feedback to ensure that you have your say.
25:14: So in a bit of a summary, the short-term letting side of things in Brisbane, it is definitely going to change, I think.
25:20: it is proposed, I think these things, this proposal will, will continue through, so.
25:25: , be aware, be prepared, be organized, as we’ve given you a bit of an idea of some of the things you can do there.
25:32: But I think if that’s, this is something you are involved in or considering, you need to do your homework, and you need to be prepared.
25:38: Absolutely.
25:39: Remember, the permit system will come into effect, from the 1st of July 2026, so there’s still a little bit of time to prepare.
25:47: Your zoning on properties.
25:48: If you are in a low density or a low to medium density residential zone, remember, it might not just be a permit that you require, it may also need a development application, and that, could mean that you either have that supported, or have that declined, and then you may need to consider the long-term rental market for your property.
26:07: But you need to engage.
26:09: In consultation with a town planner, if, in fact, a development application is required, and seek their advice.
26:17: You can contact council and obtain some initial free advice from their town planning team, but you will need to engage a private town planner, if, in fact, you do need to submit an application, and that’s the direction that you choose to follow.
26:30: So,, a lot to think about for people that are, renting properties through Airbnb or Stays or other short-term accommodation providers in the Brisbane City Council region.
26:41: So be aware, be alert, and, and don’t be complacent.
26:45: Be on the front foot when it comes to these proposed changes.
26:47: And have a Plan B.
26:49: As usual, like, we love sharing information, it’s all free information from us, sharing what’s happening in Brisbane, how things are changing, and hopefully that’s been helpful for anyone that does a lot of short-term leasing or is looking at that type of thing as, as an investment sort of things as well, so.
27:07: Hopefully that helps.
27:09: as usual, I’m gonna let Melinda wrap things up, and, it’s been great talking again.
27:13: Thanks very much for listening.
27:15: Take care, and bye for now.
27:16: Look, if this was helpful, please subscribe to our podcast.
27:19: You can like our podcast, even drop us a comment, anything that you’d like to see, or hear in future episodes, we’d love to engage with you, our audience.
27:30: Thank you once again for joining us on this week’s podcast, and we look forward to speaking with you again soon.
27:35: Until then, bye for now.