ACT short-term rental levy, planning and fire-safety checks
The ACT levy applies to liable booking service providers, while planning, lease, unit-title and fire-safety requirements must be checked for the exact Canberra property.
- The ACT short-term rental accommodation levy is 5% of the total booking amount for an applicable booking of no more than 28 continuous days.
- The levy rate is scheduled to increase to 7.5% from 1 July 2027.
- Hosted accommodation where the owner or occupier remains in the property at the same time is excluded under the current ACT Revenue guidance.
- Direct bookings with an owner or occupier are not subject to the levy under the current ACT Revenue guidance.
- Planning, Crown lease, unit-title, insurer and fire-safety requirements remain separate property-specific checks.
Exceptions and qualifications
- The levy exclusions and liable-party rules must be tested against the actual booking channel and hosted model.
- An existing approval, Crown lease or unit-title rule may impose additional operating restrictions.
What this means for your property
Classify each booking by provider, stay length and hosted status, keep levy records where applicable and check the exact property's planning, Crown lease, unit-title and fire-safety position.
What happens if you do not comply
A liable booking service provider that does not meet registration, reporting or payment obligations may be assessed for the levy and penalties. Separate planning or lease non-compliance can lead to its own enforcement action.
How Wealth Through Property can help
Wealth Through Property can help optimise the permitted booking nights, introduce compliant longer-stay and mid-term strategies, monitor annual usage and maintain strong occupancy.
Official sources
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