Paid guest and transitory accommodation

Paid guest accommodation

Council has introduced rating categories for owner occupied houses and units where a room or rooms are used for paid guest accommodation. Paid guest accommodation covers short term rentals for less than 42 nights to guests who are not normally resident at the property and which are publicly advertised. 

The new categories were introduced to ensure properties with paid guest accommodation are rated equitably compared to solely-owner occupied residential properties, non-owner occupied residential properties, and entire properties or self-contained dwellings used for commercial transitory accommodation purposes.

Transitory accommodation

Council has introduced rating categories for houses and units rented to paying guests for temporary accommodation purposes. These properties have a commercial focus, and in Council’s opinion, should be charged at a higher rate than a residence housing a family or tenant on a long-term basis. By increasing rates on these properties Council hopes to encourage more properties to be made available on the long-term rental market.

If an owner or other permanent resident remains at the property while a single or multiple rooms are rented out to paid guests, a different rating category may apply.

If your property is offered or available for rent to paid guests for temporary accommodation purposes, contact Council on 07 3403 8888, or complete the online form.

Report property being used for paid guest or transitory accommodation

To ensure the correct rating category is applied to a property that is offered or available for rent to paid guests for temporary accommodation, a ‘Change of property use’ online form is available.

This form can be completed by:

  • ratepayers to nominate their own property
  • ratepayers to report their own property not being used for these purposes
  • non-owners to alert Council that a property may be used for these purposes (Council will investigate but cannot advise the outcome due to privacy laws)

A request can also be submitted if seeking information about undertaking paid guest accommodation and the impact on the rating category.

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