Short-Term Rentals in Gold Coast

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The terms related to short stays are not limited to short-term accommodations only in the Gold Coast area. Instead, it widely covers bed and breakfast, home office and home-based childcare. All of these subcategories have been summarized as Home-Based Business by Gold Coast City Council. 

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In other words, short-term rentals are allowed under home-based businesses in Gold Coast. Moreover, home-based businesses are a great source of short-term lets and you can earn a passive income under bed and breakfast business. 

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Similarly, the shared facilities with the guests have been described as dormitories, toilets, bathrooms, dining, cooking and recreation facilities, according to the Accommodation approval - Gold Coast City Council - Queensland. All of these rules were enacted under the Local Government Act 2009 Queensland. Moreover, the local regulations on short-term regulations have been provided in more detail in Local Law 16 which refers to licensing requirements. Also, the rental accommodations have been specified in the subordinate local 16.1

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Although there are strict requirements of planning permit, zoning requirements and safety standards to get your accommodations fully operational, the short-term letting is still very attractive in many areas of Gold Coast.

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According to a report published by Airbtics in 2022, the annual revenue from listings in Surfers Paradise was AUD 49,038. More than 80% of the listed houses in this region are earning an average monthly income of AUD 4,375 with occupancy rate of 67%. It provides useful insights about the profitability of short-term lets in Gold Coast. However, the rules and regulations differ in each zone of the Gold Coast. You need to be aware of all of these regulations. Here, we’ll provide you general information on the letting or short-term rental regulations in Gold Coast.

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Regulations about Short-Term Rentals in Gold Coast

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Short-Term Rentals or bed & breakfast businesses are becoming more people who are seeking the safest and legal ways to list their business as short-term letting in Gold Coast. Home-based business permit is not needed as long as you fulfill the following regulations without causing any infringements:

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1. Primary Residence of the Host

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The short-term letting residence must be the primary residency of the host and he must live there throughout the year or most part of the year. Otherwise, a development plan is necessary to acquire for making a material change to the use of the building.

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Planning approval becomes essential if it is your secondary residence in Gold Coast. 

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2. Residential Zone

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The property must be in the residential zone of the Gold Coast. The zoning requirements make it challenging to check the zoning status of your property. So, you can get professional and expert advice from Gold Coast Town Planners.

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3. Maintaining the Amenities

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Maintaining the amenities requires the least number of guests at one place. Generally, only four guests are allowed at one premise for short-term rental accommodations in the zoning areas of Gold Coast. This regulation helps the communities, host and neighborhood avoid any noise and damage to the amenities. This regulation is for the bed and breakfast business. For accepting more than four guests, the host will be required to get a planning permission and short-term rental accommodation license from Gold Coast City Council.

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4. Check-in and Check-out Hours

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Maintaining a proper discipline at your home-based business is necessary to ensure the guests enter and leave your premises any time between 6AM and 10PM.

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5. Cleanliness of the Premises

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Cleanliness of the short-term rentals by one of the non-resident employees has been described by the law of home-based business to ensure proper cleanliness and maintenance of the property. So that the guests live in a clean place and they leave it neat and tidy also. The hygienic issues at the premise will be lowered when one employee will be available round-the-clock.

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6. Parking Management

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Parking is supposed to be managed in such a way that the parking area is not congested with too many vehicles. For this, only one delivery at a time and six visitors would be allowed for your guest at your premise.

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7. At Least a Two Bedroom Property

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Having a spare room is mandatory for sharing your property as a bed and breakfast business. Otherwise, your property won’t be eligible for operating as short-term letting.

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8. Normal Accommodation

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The place must look like a customary house with a dedicated parking space, toiletries, bedroom and kitchen. The design and construction material of guest’s accommodation and your residential accommodation must match in many respects.

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9. Amount of Space – 50 m²

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Amount of space required for bed and butter is fifty square meters, according to the bed and breakfast code. Surprisingly, home-based business requires only a maximum space of 45m². This contradiction between the codes makes the regulation a little bit confusing. But you can focus only on the 50m2 only as it is more relevant for the short-term accommodations in Gold Coast.

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10. Neighborhood and Amenities are Safe

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Noise pollution is the major cause of short-term rental infringements in Gold Coast. So, the host must ensure that the guests are not having any party, using loud music or any other type disturbances for the neighborhood.

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Similarly, the host should also provide instructions to the guests and neighborhoods about the privacy of each other. The respect of privacy is ensured by the host by communicating with the guests and the neighborhood to create a pleasant experience for each of them.

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Rental Accommodation License

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If your listing business is according to the regulations of home-based business, you don’t need any license at all. However, if you’re not living at the primary residency or at the listed place and it is also out of the zoning areas allowed for listing, then you must acquire a planning permit and accommodation license from Gold Coast City Council.

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Interestingly, the rental accommodation license is free. However, the fee will be paid for other certifications and expert advice from a legal advisor. The higher fee associated with these licenses are a main hurdle in curtailing the registration of a number of short-term rentals in Gold Coast. Another hurdle is the complex structure of zoning requirements. In that case, the question is if you should register your short-term lets with the City Council or not? Let’s ponder over this question in the next section!

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A Million Dollar Question…Should You Register your business in Gold Coast?

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According to a report published by ABC News, the cost of registering a short-term rental accommodation is more than $9000. On the other hand, the penalty fee for a show cause notice is $1,437 that is relatively lower and affordable. This higher fee is accompanied by the consultancy fee also. So, the cost of registering business increases in Gold Coast. 

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This discourages many short-term renters from registering their business and opt for home-based business, like bed and breakfast accommodations. 

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Certificates Required by Gold Coast City Council

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Following is the list of all the certificates and permits required for the registration of short-term rentals in Gold Coast.

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• Development Permit
• Rental Accommodation License
• Certificate of Compliance
• Certificate of Classification
• Pool Safety standards
• Floor Plans
• Site Plans

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Penalties for Violating Local Rental Regulations in Gold Coast

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Like the registration fee, the penalty charges are higher due to the higher income earned from short-term rentals. According to the Law 16 of Gold Coast City Council, rooming accommodations may result in fines up to $16,500 for individuals and $27,500 for corporations.

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Mostly, the unregistered business receives a show cause notice for the infringement of safety standards. In response, the host must get the legal advice 

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Want to Partner with a Property Management Company?

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The complex structure of local laws in Gold Coast makes the management of bread and breakfast business in Gold Coast a little bit confusing and a lot more challenging. Avoiding any show cause notices or paying higher registration fee, you can consult with Houst or enjoy the best property management Services in Gold Coast. Houst is committed to providing the landlords and guests get the best services. The landlords will enjoy the maximum monthly returns while guests will receive the exceptional hosting services when Houst will manage your short-term rentals on the client’s behalf.

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Houst offers the best listing, property management and hosting services in Gold Coast. So, let’s discuss the benefits of partnering with the prominent hosting service provider in your area!

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1. Low Maintenance Cost

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With a single fee for managing your business, Houst offers you affordable maintenance services for your residence. Besides, the host can also ensure the proper cleanliness of the premises for the guests. As a result, the guests will prefer and recommend your place to others in Gold Coast. All this is possible at the low maintenance cost with Houst.

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2. Boost Your Income

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Multiplying your passive income with Houst’s best services, you can live a life with ultimate financial stability and starting other investment with the additional revenues. So, it’s a great opportunity for the hosts to start a partnership with Houst to double the returns.

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3. Legal Compliance

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Houst has a professional team of legal advisors who are expert in state laws and local laws. As a result, they provide best solution for the short-term accommodation to make them syncing with the local regulations. As a result, you don’t need to pay additional fee for getting consultation from a legal advisor while registering your business. Instead, Houst will list your business with all the legal requirements and criteria.

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4. Transparent Property Management

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The transparent property management is ensured by the online and interactive dashboards which will provide you analytics on your accommodation business. As a result, you will remain a host and, not a ghost, in your business. So, it’s essential you obtain all the relevant information to keep yourself updated using the interactive dashboards provided by the Houst.

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5. Five-Starred Hosting Services Made Possible

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With excellent and prompt hosting services in Gold Coast, your business will become credible and reliable within days when the guests will be served with the Houst’s professional services. The five-star reviews are not a big problem when the host is always available at the premises with the cleanliness staff and the required instructions. 

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Curious to see how much you could earn on Airbnb? Schedule a free, no-strings-attached consultation with our Airbnb Management Gold Coast team to uncover your property’s revenue potential.

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The Bottom Line

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Finally, we can say that the Gold Coast restricts the registering and listing of many short-term rentals but there’re many businesses that are operating as bed and breakfast businesses. For this, they don’t need to register and pay an exorbitant application and consultancy fee. 

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To avoid these additional fees, many short-term rentals are operating as unregistered with the local councils. If you don’t have time to manage your short-term rentals in Gold Coast, you can partner with Houst – the best property management Company in Gold Coast. At a minimal fee, it will help you get the maximum monthly and annual returns. 

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What are you waiting for? Hurry Up! Start your business with us and we will take care of it by boosting your annual income with transparency and reliability. 

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