If you have been researching whether to put a Brisbane property on Airbnb, you have probably come across mentions of a Brisbane short stay levy. It is worth clearing something up early, because it changes how you should budget. Queensland has no short-stay levy. There is no percentage skimmed off your booking income, nothing for Airbnb or Stayz to collect on Council’s behalf, and no state-level tax of the kind Victoria introduced.
What Brisbane City Council does instead is reclassify your property for rates purposes. Once your home is offered as short-stay accommodation, it moves into a different rating category and your rates go up, in some cases substantially. The cost is real and annual, and it lands on your rates notice rather than on your bookings. Here is how it works in 2026-27, what it costs, and what else you need in order before you list.
Is There Actually a Brisbane Short Stay Levy?
No. It is a nickname that stuck rather than an official charge, and the distinction matters when you are running numbers.
A levy of the kind people picture is a percentage of what guests pay. Victoria runs one at 7.5% of the booking total. Queensland has never legislated an equivalent, and there is no statewide register or night cap either. You can operate a Brisbane property 365 nights a year without a permit.
Council uses a different lever. It runs a system of differential general rating, with 227 separate categories in 2026-27, and your property sits in one of them based on how the land is used. Short-stay properties get a category of their own carrying a much higher rate in the dollar. The cost is therefore fixed and annual, tied to your land value rather than your income. A quiet year does not reduce it.
How Brisbane Rates Short-Stay Properties Instead
The category you need to know about is category 23, Transitory Accommodation. It applies to a whole dwelling that is let to paying guests for temporary stays. If your property is a unit inside a community titles scheme, the equivalent is category 24.
Council calculates general rates by multiplying your Average Rateable Valuation, which is your land value averaged over the past three valuations, by a rate in the dollar set by your category. A minimum general rate applies if the calculation lands below it. These are the 2026-27 published figures:
| Category | Rate (cents in the dollar) | Minimum general rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Residential: Owner Occupied | 0.2134 | $949.64 |
| 7. Residential: Non-owner Occupied or Mixed Use | 0.2883 | $1,432.32 |
| 23. Transitory Accommodation | 0.4901 | $2,434.96 |
| 24. CTS Transitory Accommodation (units) | 0.5399 | $2,491.60 |
Most coverage compares category 23 against owner-occupied rates, producing an alarming figure of roughly 2.3 times. That is not the relevant comparison for most investors. If you already have a long-term rental you are in category 7, not category 1, and moving from 7 to 23 is an increase of exactly 70% on both the rate in the dollar and the minimum. That is the number to plan around.
What the Brisbane Short Stay Levy Costs in Practice
Take a Brisbane house with an Average Rateable Valuation of $600,000, currently let long-term.
- As a long-term rental in category 7: $600,000 × 0.2883 cents = $1,729.80 in general rates
- As a short-stay property in category 23: $600,000 × 0.4901 cents = $2,940.60 in general rates
The difference is $1,210.80 a year, or about $23 a week. It is a real cost worth budgeting for, but it is rarely the thing that decides whether short-letting stacks up.
Two caveats. General rates are only part of your notice, so separate levies and charges apply on top and also vary by category. And units in a community titles scheme have a parity factor applied, so the comparison is not quite like for like. There is no official Council rates calculator, so for an exact figure you will need to ask Council directly.
When Council Recategorises Your Property
This is where owners most often get caught out, because the trigger is broader than people expect. Council’s definitions turn on short stays by guests who are not permanent residents, with under 42 nights the reference point for a short-term let. Two details in the 2026-27 Resolution of Rates and Charges deserve your attention.
First, transitory accommodation expressly includes a dwelling subject to a management agreement with a third party permitting it to be offered or used for paid guest stays. Engaging a management company does not sit outside the definition, it is named inside it. We would rather tell you that up front than have it appear on a rates notice later.
Second, the test is whether the property is offered or available for short stays, not whether it was actually booked. Council states that a public listing is itself evidence of that use, so a live listing in a quiet month still counts.
If you change how you use your property, you are required to update your rates account, and you can do that through Council’s change of property use form. Owners are responsible for checking their own category is right. If you believe yours is wrong, you can lodge an objection, but only within 30 days of your rate account issue date, so it pays to check the notice when it arrives rather than filing it.
What Happened to Brisbane’s Proposed Permit Scheme
A lot of advice still circulating online describes a permit system that never came into effect, so this is worth getting straight. Council consulted through late 2025 and early 2026 on a proposed Short Stay Accommodation Local Law 2025, which would have introduced permits, fees and operating conditions from 1 July 2026. In May 2026, roughly seven weeks before that start date, Council confirmed it was not proceeding with the proposed local law at this time, pointing to slowing growth in platform-based short stays and improved management standards since 2023.
So there is no Brisbane permit, licence or registration number, and no application fee. Read the wording carefully though. Council said “at this time”, which is a deferral rather than a closed door, so treat the current settings as favourable rather than permanent.
Other Rules That Still Apply
The rating category is the headline cost, but not the whole compliance picture.
- Smoke alarms: every existing Queensland dwelling must have interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms in each bedroom, in connecting hallways and on each storey by 1 January 2027. If your property is already being let, you should be compliant now.
- Body corporate by-laws: if you own a unit, your scheme’s by-laws can restrict short-term letting. Check them before you commit to anything.
- Planning approval: Brisbane City Plan 2014 still governs land use. In lower density residential zones, whole-home short-stay letting can require development approval, and paying the correct rates category does not substitute for that.
None of this is a reason to walk away. It is a reason to check your specific property before you spend money on furnishings and photography.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run an Airbnb in Brisbane?
No. Brisbane City Council issues no short-term rental permit, licence or registration, and the proposed permit scheme was shelved in May 2026. You do need to be in the correct rates category, and depending on your zone you may need development approval under the City Plan.
Does the higher rate apply if I only rent the property out occasionally?
Potentially yes. Council’s test is whether the dwelling is offered or available for paid guest stays, and a public listing is treated as evidence of that, so occasional bookings on a permanently live listing can still put you in the transitory accommodation category. If you live in the property and rent out a room while remaining there, a different category may apply.
Is there a short stay levy anywhere in Queensland?
No. Queensland has no state short-stay levy, no statewide register and no night cap. Victoria charges 7.5% on booking fees, but nothing equivalent applies here. Regulation in Queensland happens council by council, and rates are the main tool.
Does the Gold Coast charge the same thing?
Not the same figures. The City of Gold Coast runs its own differential rating categories, and short-stay properties are rated differently there too. The numbers in this article are Brisbane’s, so check your own council if your property sits on the Gold Coast.
What happens if I do not tell Council?
Council can and does investigate, and anyone can report a property as being used for paid guest accommodation. You are responsible for making sure your category is correct, so it is better to declare the change than have it backdated onto you.
Getting the Numbers Right Before You Convert
The Brisbane short stay levy is not a levy at all, and once you see the figures it is usually a smaller factor than owners fear. An extra $1,000 to $1,500 a year in rates is a line item rather than a dealbreaker when the income difference between long-term and short-stay letting is working in your favour. The mistake is failing to budget for it.
What matters more is whether your particular property suits short-letting once you have accounted for the rates category, your body corporate, your zone and the running costs. We have been doing that maths for Queensland property owners since 2016. Our property management team in Brisbane can walk you through what your property would realistically earn and what it would cost to run. We also screen every booking, with no parties, no schoolies and no celebration groups, which keeps you clear of the complaint-driven enforcement Council still applies.
Request your free assessment and we will give you an honest answer, including if the answer is that your property is better off staying where it is.
This article is general information based on Brisbane City Council’s published 2026-27 rating documents and is current at the time of writing. Rating categories and figures are reviewed each financial year. For a decision about your specific property, confirm the current position with Brisbane City Council or your accountant.
