Gold Coast Council votes to tighten short-term rental rules as housing pressure mounts

Gold Coast City Council voted 8-6 this week to adopt mandatory registration and planning approval requirements for short-term rental properties from February 2027, marking the most significant local planning shift on holiday accommodation in five years.

The decision follows months of pressure from tenants' advocates and real estate professionals who argue the city's estimated 12,000 unregistered short-term rental properties have shrunk the pool of long-term rental homes. Council heard submissions from 47 residents and three local housing groups before the vote on Wednesday.

What the new rules require

Under the adopted Local Law 4 amendments, owners of properties rented for 90 days or fewer per year must obtain planning approval from council and register on the new Gold Coast Holiday Rental Register. Properties in residential zones that don't secure approval face fines starting at $2,000 for owners and up to $500 per day for operating unlawfully.

The policy exempts owner-occupied premises where the owner rents out a room or granny flat for short stays, and properties in mixed-use zones or specially zoned tourist areas like Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Main Beach. Council officers estimate this affects roughly 4,000 to 6,000 properties across the city based on data from booking platforms.

Gold Coast residents renting long-term homes have faced median rents of $480 per week for apartments and $540 per week for houses, according to the latest quarterly report from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland in June 2026. Local advocacy groups cited that data during council debate, arguing that conversion of residential stock to holiday lets has tightened supply.

Local impact and implementation

For residents, the expected outcome is gradual release of rental housing back into the long-term market. Property managers and investors who spoke to council said compliance will require upfront costs: registration fees of $150 per property annually, plus planning application fees ranging from $400 to $1,200 depending on the property location and whether it already operates legally.

Owners with properties in approved tourist precincts can apply for an exemption. Broadbeach precinct manager Sarah Chen told council on Tuesday that holiday rentals support roughly 340 jobs in her area, mostly hospitality and property management roles. She warned that overly strict rules could harm tourism-dependent businesses, though she acknowledged supply-side housing concerns.

Council will open applications for planning approval and registration from December 1, 2026. The city's Planning and Development Services department, which has 24 staff, is recruiting two additional compliance officers specifically to manage the new register and process applications. The budget allocation for that expansion, $280,000 across the 2027 financial year, passed as a separate item without dissent.

Owners operating in non-compliant zones after February 1, 2027 will be subject to enforcement action. Council has not yet detailed whether it will pursue prosecution or prioritise compliance support in the first 12 months. A spokesperson said that approach would be determined by the compliance team in consultation with the mayor's office by December.

Council will review the policy after 18 months of operation to measure the effect on rental supply. Housing advocates told council they expect 300 to 500 properties to return to long-term rental within that timeframe, though they acknowledged the figure depends heavily on property owner response rates to registration requirements.