What to check before you spend money or go live.
For Southwest WA property owners considering hosted, unhosted or rural short-stay.
One State register
Different local planning rules
Hosted and Unhosted pathways have changed
Your address changes the answer
Host Happy — Southwest WA short-stay specialists
Source-checked 20 August 2026 (AWST)
Start with the pathway, not the listing.
Who this is for
For Southwest WA property owners considering short-stay who haven't confirmed the path for their property.
What it helps you do
Put questions in the right order, collect relevant documents and source links, and record what still needs checking before you spend.
Where it stops
This guide does not assess an address, interpret a planning scheme, confirm approval or compliance, or forecast income. When the answer depends on the address, zone, title documents or a tailored comparable set, general guidance has ended.
Four workstreams
1. Local planning and the approved use
Whether the proposed use needs development approval and what the local scheme says.
2. State registration, advertising and booking reports
The WA STRA Register obligation — runs independently of planning.
3. Property documents, building, safety and insurance
Title, strata, tenancy, finance, building and safety checks regardless of planning outcome.
4. Operations and commercial assumptions
The practical documents guests need, and the limits of public pricing data.
These are separate workstreams. Progress in one does not settle the others.
General orientation only. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority or qualified adviser.
Southwest WA Host Starter Guide hosthappy.com.au 02 / 15
Three facts determine your path: whether you live there during the stay, whether guests have private use, and what use is already approved.
Getting the classification wrong is common — it's a land-use decision, not a listing one.
Hosted
You live on the property while guests are there. Exempt from planning approval anywhere in WA. Registration still required before advertising or taking bookings.
Unhosted
You're not there during the stay. Local planning approval may be required before operating.
Outside the Register
Some accommodation falls outside the Register — hotels, managed serviced apartments, tourist developments and some glamping. Development approval may still apply. Check the current Register definition.
⚠️ Not sure which applies? Confirm the approved land use with your local government and the STRA Register team before spending anything.
Official source: WA STRA Register — wa.gov.au
Southwest WA Host Starter Guide hosthappy.com.au 03 / 15
Hosted, unhosted and where you are — all three change the answer
Hosted — anywhere in WA
Planning: Exempt from planning approval.
Registration: Required before advertising or taking bookings.
Perth unhosted — up to 90 non-consecutive booked nights
Planning: Development-approval exemption applies.
Registration: Required.
Perth unhosted — intending to exceed 90 booked nights
Planning: Development approval required before taking bookings.
Registration: Required.
Regional unhosted — including Southwest WA
Planning: Your local government determines whether approval is required — may apply from day one.
Registration: Required.
⚠️ The Perth 90-night exemption does not apply in Southwest WA. Check the local planning path before operating.
Official source: DPLH — STRA State Planning Policy (planning.wa.gov.au)
Southwest WA Host Starter Guide hosthappy.com.au 04 / 15
Bunbury example: three local checks before you launch.
Occupancy
LPP 2.2 sets a standard maximum of six people for unhosted STRA. Above six is assessed case by case.
Location
The Core Tourism Area is the preferred zone. Residential-zone applications outside it face a discretionary cap.
Approval term
Approvals can be time-limited. Check the determination notice and renewal timing.
One council's current pathway — a State-wide checklist cannot answer the question for every address.
Official source: City of Bunbury — LPP 2.2
Southwest WA Host Starter Guide hosthappy.com.au 05 / 15
Bunbury example: what the current application pack asks for
Bunbury has a published pathway for unhosted STRA. This is a worked example — other councils use different schemes and forms.
Hosted in Bunbury: No planning approval needed. If occupancy exceeds six, check with the City of Bunbury — Planning team.
Unhosted in Bunbury: Planning approval required before operating. Check your zone and LPP 2.2 first.
Unhosted application pack — Current City application documents
Current DA form and certificate of title
Signed by all owners; attach title.
Scaled site and floor plans
Mark all areas proposed for guests.
Signage detail
Show placement visible from street.
Operational Management Plan
Use City's current template only.
Guest Code of Conduct
Signed agreement required.
Fire and Emergency Response Plan
Property-specific plan required.
Use the City's current STRA page for the development-application form, Operational Management Plan template and checklist.
One practical lesson: current published documents set the baseline. Where a property-specific question remains, seek written guidance from the relevant authority and reconcile that response with the application documents. Do not treat an answer from another address as a rule for every property.
Other requirements may apply. Ask building, environmental-health and bushfire authorities which checks apply to your property.
Bunbury is one example — always check the rules for your own property and location.
Southwest WA Host Starter Guide hosthappy.com.au 06 / 15
Planning approval does not override the property documents.
Even when planning and registration are understood, title conditions, strata by-laws, tenancy agreements, finance terms and insurance may still restrict the use.
Title and strata / community title
Check current by-laws for any restrictions on short-term rental. Planning approval does not override them.
Tenancy
A tenant must review the tenancy agreement and get landlord consent before operating.
Finance
Review loan terms and ask the lender whether consent or notification is required.
Insurance
Ask the insurer to confirm in writing that the proposed short-stay model is covered.
Qualified advice
Engage the relevant planner, surveyor, insurer, accountant or lawyer — do not rely on this guide for professional advice.
⚠️ Suggested record folder — five sections: 01 Intent · 02 Ownership and permissions · 03 Existing approvals and plans · 04 Source log · 05 Safety and operations.
Southwest WA Host Starter Guide hosthappy.com.au 07 / 15
Four safety checks to organise early.
RCDs — Published requirement
All power points and lighting circuits must be protected before guests stay; minimum two RCDs required. Licensed electrical contractor for installation or rectification.
Smoke alarms — Published requirement
Compliant with AS 3786 — working, not expired, not more than 10 years old. Ordinarily mains connected; licensed electrician required for connection or disconnection.
Pool and spa barriers — Published requirement
Pools, spas and portable pools holding water more than 30 cm deep require a compliant safety barrier. Only the local government can confirm compliance; maximum inspection interval generally four years.
Aquatic facilities — Property-specific check
A qualifying spa pool or swimming pool at short-stay accommodation operated as a business may be an aquatic facility under WA Health rules, requiring a Certificate of Compliance and Permit to Operate. Confirm the current pathway with WA Health and your council before guests use the relevant pool, spa or other water body.
Southwest WA Host Starter Guide hosthappy.com.au 08 / 15
Registration runs separately from planning.
The WA STRA Register is a State obligation that runs independently of council planning. Get the sequence right and keep records accurate from day one.
Confirm your premises is within the Register's scope
Check you are not in a statutory exclusion category before you start.
Create the correct account type
Individual owners and business or trust owners use different account types.
Record the actual development-approval status truthfully
Record the truth: approved (with DA number), submitted, refused, not obtained, or permitted.
Check the current fee, then save the registration number and expiry date
Verify the current fee before paying. Save the registration number — it must appear in every advertisement — and note the annual expiry.
Report booking events by the current deadline
Integrated platforms push bookings automatically. Direct and non-integrated bookings must be entered manually by the fifth day of the following month. Owner-use blocks are not booking events.
Renew annually and update when relevant facts change
Renew before expiry, update advertisements if the number changes, and re-read rules before each renewal.
⚠️ You can register before a DA is granted, but the Register must be updated with the DA number once it is. Registration does not authorise operation where development approval is required.
Official source: WA STRA Register — wa.gov.au
Southwest WA Host Starter Guide hosthappy.com.au 09 / 15
Build the guest emergency card before launch.
Prepare a one-page card for guests and display it at the property. Include:
Property identification
- Property name and full street address (suburb and postcode)
- Nearest cross-street or landmark
- 24-hour owner or manager contact number
Emergency contacts
- Triple Zero — 000
- Emergency WA / DFES — 13 33 37
- Emergency+ app — advise guests to download before travel
Escape and assembly
- Location of the escape plan (note where it is posted)
- Assembly point (e.g. front verge, neighbour's driveway)
- Check if the property is in a bushfire-prone area with your local government.
Bushfire-prone properties
- Attach or note the Leave Early Plan location.
- List evacuation routes, safe destinations and transport options.
- If too late to leave, follow current Emergency WA and DFES advice.
⚠️ Fire extinguishers, fire blankets and first-aid kits are not universally mandated — verify against your approval conditions and building authority advice.
Southwest WA Host Starter Guide hosthappy.com.au 10 / 15
Before launch, prepare the documents you and your guests will use.
Guest arrival guide
Property address, access, Wi-Fi, appliances and local information.
House rules / Code of Conduct
Occupant limits, quiet hours, parking, pets, bins, smoking and check-in/out times.
Fire and Emergency Response Plan
Escape routes, assembly point, Triple Zero, Emergency WA and bushfire information where relevant.
24-hour contact and escalation process
Who guests call, when, and what happens next.
Cleaning, maintenance and waste checklist
Turnover tasks, restocking levels and waste-collection schedule.
Parking and outdoor-area instructions
Number of spaces, access rules, trailer restrictions and outdoor hours.
Complaints and incident register
Keep a register where required by local policy or approval conditions. Make it available for authorised inspection.
⚠️ If an OMP and Code of Conduct are required, ensure guest limits, parking, contacts, complaints and emergency steps are consistent across all documents.
If you provide food: check the current WA fact sheet and ask the local government about training, notification and food-business registration.
Southwest WA Host Starter Guide hosthappy.com.au 11 / 15
Don't build an income forecast from advertised nightly rates.
Comparable listings show why an estimated range needs careful judgement. They do not show achieved revenue for your address.
Location, type and capacity must be genuinely comparable
A beachfront four-bedroom is not comparable to an inland two-bedroom, even in the same postcode.
Exact dates and total trip cost matter more than a headline nightly rate
Cleaning fees, service fees and minimum-stay requirements are part of the actual cost. A single-night rate is rarely what a guest pays.
A blocked calendar is unknown, not evidence of a booking
Owner holds, maintenance blocks and unlisted periods all look the same to an outside observer.
Material property differences can change the range
Pool, aspect, access, condition and unique features each affect where a property sits in the market.
An advertised price is not achieved revenue. This guide explains the limits of public observations — it does not produce an expected income for your address. The Feasibility Assessment includes an indicative gross booking-revenue range from comparable local listings.
Southwest WA Host Starter Guide hosthappy.com.au 12 / 15
Pre-Launch Scorecard
Mark each item Clear, Needs checking, or Not ready. This scorecard organises questions — it does not certify compliance or readiness.
Classification and planning
- Accommodation classification confirmed (hosted / unhosted / out-of-scope)
- Current local planning path checked with the relevant local government
- Required approval obtained or exemption documented
Property permissions
- Strata / title / lease permission clear
- Finance / mortgage position confirmed
Safety and emergency
- Building, RCD, smoke-alarm and pool matters checked
- Bushfire and emergency plan prepared where relevant
- Suitable insurance confirmed in writing
Registration and reporting
- STRA registration active and expiry date recorded
- Advertising registration number ready
- Booking-reporting process assigned (integrated vs manual)
Operations and economics
- Operating pack and 24-hour contact ready
- Basic operating-cost assumptions recorded
- Property-specific tax questions referred to a registered tax adviser
⚠️ Do not advertise or accept bookings solely because this preparation is complete.
If the unresolved answer depends on the address, local pathway or property documents, a general scorecard cannot resolve it.
Southwest WA Host Starter Guide hosthappy.com.au 13 / 15
First-party source desk
General information only. Source-checked 20 August 2026. Requirements can change — confirm with the relevant authority or adviser before acting.
State registration and planning
Bunbury worked example
Property and safety
Emergency and food
Fitbrix Pty Ltd trading as Host Happy · hosthappy.com.au · 14 / 15
Need a written starting point for one address?
This guide helps you prepare. The paid Feasibility Assessment applies current published sources to one property and records the pathway, requirements and identified flags in writing — before you decide whether to proceed with a DA or further professional advice.
One property. One written review.
- The published DA pathway for your local government
- STRA registration requirements for the property
- Identified bushfire and insurance flags
- An indicative gross booking-revenue range from comparable local listings — not an income forecast
- A written summary of pathways, requirements and flags
$1,490 ex GST
Submit the form to request the assessment. Submitting does not start the review — Host Happy will reply about intake requirements, availability and written scope.
Why this comes first
A DA can be a substantial cost. The assessment records the pathway and flags before you decide whether to commission DA work or further professional advice.
Timing
Typical turnaround is 10 business days from receipt of complete site details. This is a target, not a guaranteed date.
Owner-control note
You remain the platform host of record. You control the accounts and guest payments go directly to you.
The assessment is not an approval, compliance certification, planning or legal opinion, income forecast or planning-outcome promise.
Fitbrix Pty Ltd trading as Host Happy · hosthappy.com.au · 15 / 15
Southwest WA Host Starter Guide