Short-stay letting is typically treated differently from long-term residential use. Whether you need approval depends on factors like: the type of dwelling, whether it’s your principal place of residence, frequency of letting, and any strata by-laws. Apartment buildings often have rules restricting short stays, noise, pet access, or key handling. Even when approval isn’t required, you’re still responsible for: complying with building/fire safety standards, adhering to body corporate rules, paying applicable rates/levies, and being a good neighbour.
Best practice:
Check your building’s strata by-laws and talk to the manager.
Confirm local planning rules for your suburb/property type.
Make sure smoke alarms, evacuation info, and insurance are fit for short stays.
Keep a complaints and incident log.
Not legal advice—verify with the relevant ACT authority/body corporate before listing.
Start with a base rate using comparable listings (similar suburb, bedrooms, parking, quality). Layer on:
Seasonality: higher for school holidays, summer weekends, Floriade, major conferences; softer in shoulder months.
Events & demand spikes: parliamentary sittings, sports, festivals, graduation periods—use event calendars.
Lead time & stay length: discount gaps (1–2 nights between bookings), nudge longer stays with weekly discounts.
Day-of-week: Fridays/Saturdays carry a premium; Sundays/Mondays softer.
Suburb factors: proximity to Civic/Parliamentary Triangle/ANU/hospitals, parking ease, noise.
Use dynamic pricing rules (min/max guardrails), track ADR, Occupancy, RevPAR, and iterate weekly.
Airbnb income is generally assessable income. Keep records of income and deductible expenses (cleaning, linen, utilities, platform fees, insurance, depreciation, a portion of mortgage interest/rates if eligible). If the property is partly used privately, expenses are typically apportioned.
GST: residential rent is generally input-taxed (no GST charged), but confirm if any services push you into a different treatment and keep an eye on registration thresholds for any GST-applicable activities.
Capital gains & main residence: short-stay use can affect CGT main-residence exemptions—seek advice.
Keep a logbook for days let vs private use, and store invoices for 5+ years.
Not tax advice—confirm with a registered tax agent/ATO.
Prefer platform-managed deposits or a secure pre-authorisation over holding cash.
Process:
Clear house rules and what counts as chargeable damage.
Check-in photos/video; cleaners capture timestamped turnover photos.
Report issues politely within the platform’s time window with evidence (photos, invoices/quotes, message history).
Use a fair wear & tear policy; charge only for beyond-reasonable damage or extra cleaning.
Keep communication professional and on-platform.
Smart locks: best for automation/audit trails; change codes per booking; needs battery/Wi-Fi plan.
Lockboxes: low-tech and reliable; place discreetly; rotate codes; risk of code sharing.
Meet-and-greet: personal touch; great for high-value stays; needs staffing.
Hybrid: smart lock + backup lockbox for failures. Always verify ID within platform rules and avoid handing out building fobs without recording serials/conditions.
Smart locks: best for automation/audit trails; change codes per booking; needs battery/Wi-Fi plan.
Lockboxes: low-tech and reliable; place discreetly; rotate codes; risk of code sharing.
Meet-and-greet: personal touch; great for high-value stays; needs staffing.
Hybrid: smart lock + backup lockbox for failures. Always verify ID within platform rules and avoid handing out building fobs without recording serials/conditions.
Smart locks: best for automation/audit trails; change codes per booking; needs battery/Wi-Fi plan.
Lockboxes: low-tech and reliable; place discreetly; rotate codes; risk of code sharing.
Meet-and-greet: personal touch; great for high-value stays; needs staffing.
Hybrid: smart lock + backup lockbox for failures. Always verify ID within platform rules and avoid handing out building fobs without recording serials/conditions.
Smart locks: best for automation/audit trails; change codes per booking; needs battery/Wi-Fi plan.
Lockboxes: low-tech and reliable; place discreetly; rotate codes; risk of code sharing.
Meet-and-greet: personal touch; great for high-value stays; needs staffing.
Hybrid: smart lock + backup lockbox for failures. Always verify ID within platform rules and avoid handing out building fobs without recording serials/conditions.
Smart locks: best for automation/audit trails; change codes per booking; needs battery/Wi-Fi plan.
Lockboxes: low-tech and reliable; place discreetly; rotate codes; risk of code sharing.
Meet-and-greet: personal touch; great for high-value stays; needs staffing.
Hybrid: smart lock + backup lockbox for failures. Always verify ID within platform rules and avoid handing out building fobs without recording serials/conditions.
Smart locks: best for automation/audit trails; change codes per booking; needs battery/Wi-Fi plan.
Lockboxes: low-tech and reliable; place discreetly; rotate codes; risk of code sharing.
Meet-and-greet: personal touch; great for high-value stays; needs staffing.
Hybrid: smart lock + backup lockbox for failures. Always verify ID within platform rules and avoid handing out building fobs without recording serials/conditions.
Standard home/contents policies often exclude “commercial short-stay” activity. You’ll usually need:
Short-stay/landlord cover that explicitly includes paying guests, malicious damage, and loss of rent.
Public liability (e.g., $10–20M) in case a guest or contractor is injured.
Contents cover for furnishings, appliances, and linen.
Strata building insurance (if applicable) won’t cover your contents or guest claims—confirm boundaries.
Documentation to keep: photos of condition before/after, inventory checklist, receipts, guest communications, and incident reports.
Ask your insurer in writing if short-stay hosting is covered; declare frequency of stays and whether you live on-site.
Your cleaning standard should be hotel-level: visible surfaces, high-touch disinfection, bathrooms/kitchen deep clean, floors, rubbish removal, linen/towel change, spot checks of appliances, and consumables restock (toilet rolls, soap, dish tabs).
Fee setting: estimate cleaner hours × hourly rate + laundry & consumables + margin for coordination. Keep the fee cost-reflective; don’t use it to hide profit.
Quality controls: turnover checklist, time-stamped photos, before/after inventory, missed-item re-clean policy, and periodic deep cleans (e.g., quarterly).
If you’re operating as a hobby/occasional letting, you may not need an ABN; if you’re running a business (regular activity, intention to profit, systems), an ABN and business name registration may be appropriate.
Also check: local requirements for short-stay activity, strata permissions, and any insurance notices/endorsements. If employing cleaners directly, consider Fair Work and payroll obligations; if using contractors, keep contracts and invoices.
Get tailored advice for your situation.
Noise & parties: quiet hours; no events; visitor limits.
Smoking/Vaping: location rules (e.g., balcony only) and fees for remediation.
Pets: whether allowed, fees, and extra cleaning expectations.
Security & safety: no extra keys duplication; windows/doors locked; balcony safety.
Parking & bins: instructions and collection days.
Strata compliance: lifts, common areas, and move-in/out etiquette.
Damage & extra cleaning: what is charged and how.
Link rules in the listing and display a one-page Welcome & Rules card on site.
Shoot in daylight, blinds open, warm lamps on; hero shot = living area wide angle.
Include location cues (ANU/Lake Burley Griffin/Parliament views if relevant).
Stage with ironed linen, 2 pillows per person, a green plant, and clutter-free benches.
First 5 photos should tell the story: hero, kitchen, master, bathroom, workspace/parking.
Title formula: “Light-filled [1BR] near [Landmark] + Parking, Wi-Fi”.
Description: scannable bullets for amenities; transport notes; house rules summary.
Keep calendars and pricing fresh for search boost.
Shoot in daylight, blinds open, warm lamps on; hero shot = living area wide angle.
Include location cues (ANU/Lake Burley Griffin/Parliament views if relevant).
Stage with ironed linen, 2 pillows per person, a green plant, and clutter-free benches.
First 5 photos should tell the story: hero, kitchen, master, bathroom, workspace/parking.
Title formula: “Light-filled [1BR] near [Landmark] + Parking, Wi-Fi”.
Description: scannable bullets for amenities; transport notes; house rules summary.
Keep calendars and pricing fresh for search boost.
Shoot in daylight, blinds open, warm lamps on; hero shot = living area wide angle.
Include location cues (ANU/Lake Burley Griffin/Parliament views if relevant).
Stage with ironed linen, 2 pillows per person, a green plant, and clutter-free benches.
First 5 photos should tell the story: hero, kitchen, master, bathroom, workspace/parking.
Title formula: “Light-filled [1BR] near [Landmark] + Parking, Wi-Fi”.
Description: scannable bullets for amenities; transport notes; house rules summary.
Keep calendars and pricing fresh for search boost.
Shoot in daylight, blinds open, warm lamps on; hero shot = living area wide angle.
Include location cues (ANU/Lake Burley Griffin/Parliament views if relevant).
Stage with ironed linen, 2 pillows per person, a green plant, and clutter-free benches.
First 5 photos should tell the story: hero, kitchen, master, bathroom, workspace/parking.
Title formula: “Light-filled [1BR] near [Landmark] + Parking, Wi-Fi”.
Description: scannable bullets for amenities; transport notes; house rules summary.
Keep calendars and pricing fresh for search boost.
Shoot in daylight, blinds open, warm lamps on; hero shot = living area wide angle.
Include location cues (ANU/Lake Burley Griffin/Parliament views if relevant).
Stage with ironed linen, 2 pillows per person, a green plant, and clutter-free benches.
First 5 photos should tell the story: hero, kitchen, master, bathroom, workspace/parking.
Title formula: “Light-filled [1BR] near [Landmark] + Parking, Wi-Fi”.
Description: scannable bullets for amenities; transport notes; house rules summary.
Keep calendars and pricing fresh for search boost.
Shoot in daylight, blinds open, warm lamps on; hero shot = living area wide angle.
Include location cues (ANU/Lake Burley Griffin/Parliament views if relevant).
Stage with ironed linen, 2 pillows per person, a green plant, and clutter-free benches.
First 5 photos should tell the story: hero, kitchen, master, bathroom, workspace/parking.
Title formula: “Light-filled [1BR] near [Landmark] + Parking, Wi-Fi”.
Description: scannable bullets for amenities; transport notes; house rules summary.
Keep calendars and pricing fresh for search boost.
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