Letting a second home by the night is a different use from renting it, and the 2022 change that let a secondary dwelling be rented to anyone did not touch it. The state's own guidance says a small home rented out as short-term accommodation may need a planning approval under the council's scheme, on top of its building approval. On the ground the councils differ. Noosa has had a short stay letting local law since February 2022: a property needs lawful planning rights first, then a one-off approval renewed each year, $1,748 to apply for a house in 2026-27, with a principal place of residence allowed up to four lets and 60 days a year at a lower fee. Brisbane consulted on a short stay permit law in early 2026 and then decided not to proceed with it, so Brisbane and the other ten councils run on the planning scheme and the local laws they already have.
Why a short stay is a different use
A secondary dwelling is defined by being used with and subordinate to the main house. A tenant living there fits that. Guests paying by the night are short-term accommodation, a separate use in every South East Queensland planning scheme with its own assessment, and in low density residential zones it is often assessable or not contemplated at all. The state's tiny homes page puts short-term letting in the list of uses that may need a planning approval even where the home itself needed none. That is the test: the building approval says the home is safe to live in; the planning scheme says what it may be used for.
Council by council, where a rule is published
| Council | What applies |
|---|---|
| Noosa | A local law since February 2022. Short stay letting is making premises available for less than three consecutive months. The property must first have lawful planning rights: a development approval, accepted development under Noosa Plan 2020 (which covers a principal place of residence let no more than four times and 60 days a year), or existing use rights proven with booking history from before 31 July 2020. Then a one-off local law approval, renewed each year: $1,748 to apply for a house and $800 a year from 1 July 2026, or $329 and $200 for a principal place of residence on the four-times rule. A 24 hour contact, a code of conduct for guests, and a separate rating category |
| Brisbane | Short-term accommodation is its own use in City Plan, assessed on the zone and the neighbourhood. Council consulted on a proposed Short Stay Accommodation Local Law 2025, a permit scheme for stays under 90 days, and announced it is not proceeding with it at this time: the growth of platform letting has slowed, and council will keep working with the platforms and enforcing its existing local laws |
| The other ten councils | Through the planning scheme: short-term accommodation is a defined use with its own assessment category by zone. The council page for each area links its scheme |
What this means for a second home
- A granny flat approved as a secondary dwelling is approved for someone to live in. Listing it by the night without checking the scheme risks an enforcement notice.
- Where the scheme allows short-term accommodation in the zone, the application is a planning application with a fee and a planner, and in Noosa a local law approval on top.
- The tax changes too: a flat let by the night is still rental income, but the main residence exemption is lost for the same share and period as any rental, and a host who provides meals or services is edging toward a business.
- The insurer treats paying guests differently from a tenant. Ask before the first booking.
A home for a tenant on a lease is the use every council in the region allows for a secondary dwelling. Can I rent it to anyone? covers that path.
See it for your block
Questions people ask next
Can I put my granny flat on Airbnb in Queensland?
Only where the council's planning scheme allows short-term accommodation in that zone, and with any approval it requires. The 2022 change let a secondary dwelling be rented to anyone as a residence; it did not cover letting by the night, which is a separate planning use.
What does Noosa require for short stay letting?
Lawful planning rights first, then a one-off local law approval renewed each year: $1,748 to apply for a house in 2026-27 and $800 a year from 1 July 2026, or $329 and $200 for a principal place of residence let no more than four times and 60 days a year. The law has applied since February 2022.
Is Brisbane bringing in short stay permits?
No. Council consulted on a proposed Short Stay Accommodation Local Law 2025, a permit scheme for stays under 90 days, and then announced it is not proceeding with it at this time. Short-term accommodation in Brisbane stays a planning scheme use, with council enforcing its existing local laws.
- Queensland Government, tiny homes (short-term accommodation may need planning approval), read 16 October 2026
- Noosa Council, short stay letting (definition, lawful planning rights, approval, fees), read 16 October 2026
- Brisbane City Council, proposed Short Stay Accommodation Local Law 2025 (not proceeding at this time), read 16 October 2026
- Planning Regulation 2017, schedule 24 (secondary dwelling, short-term accommodation), read 16 October 2026
- ATO, using your home for rental or business, read 16 October 2026