Can I short-term rent in Gold Coast (City of Gold Coast)?

Subordinate Local Law No. 16.1 (Rental Accommodation) 2008 defines 'rental accommodation' broadly (any premises let for payment, including tourist/short-term letting) and requires the operator to hold a Council licence under Local Law No. 16 (Licensing) 2008 unless exempt. A full application requires a site plan and floor plan, a current Queensland Fire and Rescue Service certificate of compliance, an electrical safety certificate, and a statement that the premises complies with any relevant development approval and the planning scheme. A licence expires on 31 August each year (LL16.1 s.8). Renewal is deemed to occur automatically once the property owner pays council rates in full for the premises, provided the accommodation still meets the prescribed operating criteria (LL16.1 s.11; LL16 s.12). Verified directly against the full text of both consolidated PDFs.

Exceptions: No licence is required for: home-stay accommodation where the host occupies the dwelling as their principal residence and hosts up to 4 guests (LL16.1 s.5(c)); family-board arrangements; premises providing professional health/welfare/education care; or caravan parks/camping grounds (s.5(a),(b),(d)). Separately, LL16.1 s.6(2) states no licence APPLICATION is required where the premises is a Class 1a or 2 building under the Building Code of Australia and the applicant is also the owner, in Council's public messaging this is the basis for most owner-occupied whole-house/unit short-term rentals being administered purely via the rates-payment-equals-renewal mechanism rather than a formal upfront application.

A full read of both the consolidated Local Law No. 16 (Licensing) 2008 and Subordinate Local Law No. 16.1 (Rental Accommodation) 2008 confirms neither imposes an annual limit on the number of nights a dwelling may be let short-term, unlike Greater Sydney's 180-day non-hosted cap or Byron Shire's 60-day non-hosted cap. Queensland has no state-wide STR scheme; each council sets its own rules, and Gold Coast has not adopted a night cap, relying instead on its licensing/registration regime and amenity conditions.

Subordinate Local Law No. 16.1 s.5(c) exempts 'home-stay accommodation', a dwelling occupied and continuing to be occupied as the principal place of residence of at least one person, providing accommodation for up to four guests, from the licensing requirement entirely. Verified verbatim against the primary text: 'is occupied and continues to be occupied as the principal place of residence of at least one person; and provides accommodation for up to four guests.' 'Short term accommodation' is separately defined in the law's dictionary as letting/hiring of rental accommodation for a period of occupation of less than 42 days at any one time (confirmed verbatim); this per-booking definition triggers extra licence conditions (fire-safety, residential-amenity) rather than functioning as an annual cap.

Subordinate Local Law No. 16.1 s.9(q) requires rental accommodation providing accommodation mainly to tourists (other than a budget accommodation building) to have a clear and effective means of escape from every room, a fire and evacuation plan clearly displayed in each bedroom (with occupants made aware on arrival), and properly maintained fire installations serviced by appropriately qualified persons, verified verbatim. A current Queensland Fire and Rescue Service certificate of compliance must generally accompany the licence application (s.6(1)(h), confirmed), and a copy of a current fire inspection certificate under the Fire and Rescue Service Act 1990 must be provided annually with licence renewal (condition (bi), confirmed verbatim).

Exceptions: Budget accommodation buildings are instead governed directly by the Building Act 1975 fire-safety provisions (LL16.1 s.9(p), confirmed).

Section 5(1) makes it an offence to operate 'rental accommodation' (a defined regulated activity) without a licence, or to change the manner of operation without an amended licence, maximum penalty 50 penalty units (verified verbatim). Section 14 (general compliance) sets the same maximum penalty (50 penalty units) for a licence holder failing to comply with licence conditions (s.14(1)), or for the operation causing harm to health/safety, property damage, loss of amenity, environmental harm, or nuisance (s.14(2)), both confirmed verbatim. Continuing to operate after a licence has been cancelled or suspended also carries a maximum penalty of 50 penalty units (s.13(8), confirmed verbatim).