Proposed Scheme Amendment No. 19 - Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) & Local Planning Policy 2.2 - Short-Term Rental Accommodation
The City of Nedlands is seeking comment on proposed Local Planning Scheme Amendment No. 19 relating to short-term rental accommodation (STRA). This amendment seeks to incorporate various changes within the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015 (LPS Regulations). This includes changes to the definitions of various residential and commercial accommodation types, as well as changing land-use permissibility in line with the new statewide planning exemptions. The amendment’s overall goal is to better regulate the growing private accommodation sector. A supporting amended Local Planning Policy relating to certain types of STRA properties is proposed to be advertised alongside this Scheme Amendment.
History
Following the State Government’s STRA Position Statement in late 2023, the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) launched a STRA register. All properties looking to commence or continue their accommodation offerings must register to this database. In September 2024, the LPS Regulations were amended to reduce and simplify terminology relating to residential and commercial accommodation types, amend existing definitions and introduce exemptions across the Perth metropolitan area. These changes have been enacted to improve consistency and ease of interpretation amongst metropolitan Local Governments. All metropolitan Local Governments are required to amend their Local Planning Schemes to align with the state planning framework by the of 1st of January 2026.
City of Nedlands Local Planning Scheme Amendment No. 19 and amended Local Planning Policy 2.2: Short Term Accommodation was initiated by Council at its meeting of 27 May 2025 with consent to advertise being granted by the Western Australian Planning Commission on 13th August 2025.
Scheme Amendment No. 19 - Summary
The Scheme Amendment proposes to replace terms in relation to residential and tourist accommodation with contemporary terminology listed within the LPS Regulations. In addition, exemptions for Hosted STRA (formerly Bed & Breakfast) have been proposed to allow for consistency between the LPS Regulations. As these exemptions are listed within LPS Regulations they are already being enacted upon at a development application level. Approvals will only be sought for Unhosted STRA (formerly Holiday House) operations that exceed 90-nights per 12-month period with all development assessment criteria, including management plan requirements, being listed within the amended Local Planning Policy below.
Local Planning Policy 2.2 –Short-Term Accommodation – Summary
Local Planning Policy 2.2 – Short-Term Accommodation will be updated to align with the LPS Regulations by narrowing the scope and changing the title to only apply to Unhosted STRA properties. The amended policy will provide the City a refined framework to assess the potential amenity impacts that Unhosted STRA, greater than 90-days, may have on surrounding properties. Where a property is deemed to meet the criteria listed within the policy a permanent or temporary approval may be issued. The policy contains a management plan template to ensure all STRA operators are supplying a sufficient amount of information to the City.
The proposed Scheme Amendment and Local Planning Policy will be advertised from 22 August - 3rd October 2025.
Making a Submission on the Scheme Amendment or Local Planning Policy 2.2
Members of the community are invited to make a submission online through the Your Voice page, via email at planning@nedlands.wa.gov.au or by sending hard copy submissions to the City’s Administration Building at 71 Stirling Highway, Nedlands, WA 6009. For email and hard copy submissions, please include:
- Subject line: LPS3 Scheme Amendment No. 19 / Local Planning Policy 2.2 – Unhosted Short-Term Rental Accommodation
- Full name
- Address
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Address of property affected (if applicable)
- Whether you support or object to the scheme amendment, or if you are providing comment only.
Submissions can be made through online form 1 OR online form 2.
All feedback received will be taken into consideration. Please note that written submissions are not considered confidential and may be published in Council agendas. The Amendment is also available for viewing at the City Offices. Everyone who submits a comment will be notified when the matter is referred to Council.
Submissions close at 5pm on Friday 3rd October 2025.
Community Information Session
City Officers will be available on 15 September from 4pm to 6pm in the Council Chambers at 71 Stirling Highway to answer any questions. Please note that there is no presentation at these sessions. It is an opportunity to speak with a City Officer about the proposal, and you do not have to attend the entire time. Please RSVP through the link below for the session.
For any further enquiries, or to arrange a time to come into the City to speak with a Planner, please contact the City’s Planning Services via email at planning@nedlands.wa.gov.au or call 9273 3500.
