Victorian short-stay levy and property approval checks
Victoria imposes a state short-stay levy, while the need for a planning permit and any operating conditions must be checked against the exact property and local planning scheme.
- The Victorian short-stay levy applies from 1 January 2025 to eligible stays of less than 28 consecutive days.
- The levy rate is 7.5% of the total booking fee for an eligible stay.
- A booking platform pays for platform bookings; an owner or tenant accepting eligible direct bookings must register, lodge and pay.
- A principal-place-of-residence exclusion can apply, but it must match the statutory conditions.
- Planning, owners-corporation, fire-safety, insurance and property-specific requirements still apply separately.
Exceptions and qualifications
- Hotels, motels and other excluded accommodation are not brought into the levy merely because they accept short stays.
- A stay in a person's principal place of residence can be excluded where the statutory requirements are met.
What this means for your property
Identify who accepts each booking, test the property and stay against the levy exclusions, retain booking-fee records and confirm the exact planning and owners-corporation position before advertising.
What happens if you do not comply
A liable party that does not register, lodge or pay may be assessed for unpaid levy, interest or penalties. Operating contrary to a planning permit, scheme or owners-corporation rule can lead to separate compliance 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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