Short-term Rental Registration Rules Passed by Gold Coast Council, Aligning with Brisbane and Sunshine Coast Requirements

Gold Coast City Council passed new short-term rental registration rules at its meeting on 7 July. The vote requires all properties listed on platforms such as Airbnb to hold a council-issued registration number before accepting bookings.

The change follows similar steps taken by Brisbane City Council in 2024 and Sunshine Coast Regional Council in early 2025. Both introduced registration to track properties and apply basic safety standards without imposing nightly caps.

Daily effects for Gold Coast households

Residents who rent out a room or entire home for part of the year will need to apply for registration through the council website. The process requires proof of compliance with building and fire safety rules already set by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission. Hosts in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach who currently list properties will face the same paperwork as those in Brisbane suburbs.

Property managers operating multiple listings report they will add the registration step to existing compliance checks. Local real estate agencies note that owners in Robina and Coomera who use rentals to supplement mortgage payments will now list the registration number in every advertisement.

Next steps after the vote

Council staff will begin accepting registration applications from October 2026. Enforcement officers will start compliance checks in February 2027, using the same database model already in place in Brisbane. The 2026-27 Gold Coast City Council budget papers allocate $480000 for the registration system and initial inspections.

Policy analysts say the approach follows the framework set out in the Queensland Short-term Rental Accommodation Act amendments passed in late 2025. Further council votes on any future changes to fees or inspection frequency are scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.