Brisbane's Airbnb Crackdown: 500 Properties Told to Switch or Shut Down

Brisbane City Council is set to instruct almost 500 short-stay rental homes in Brisbane's suburbs to cease operations as short-stay holiday accommodation and become long-term rentals.

What's happening?

Council's proposed Short Stay Accommodation Local Law 2025 aims to improve management of short stay rentals with permits and clear rules for operators. Permits would be required from 1 July 2026.

Short-stay accommodation operators in low to low-medium-density residential areas will have until June 30, 2026, to make the switch to long-term letting or to apply for development approval from the council.

The new rules in brief:

• Every short-term rental needs a council permit

• The nominated 24/7 contact person must respond to complaints within 60 minutes

• Body corporate approval required (where applicable)

• Three strikes within a 3-year rolling period equals permanent permit revocation

• Brisbane City Council already charges approximately 50% higher council rates for short-term accommodation properties

Who's affected?

If your property is a standalone house in a traditional suburban residential area, it will almost certainly be classified as low-density residential and banned from short-term rental use from July 2026.

Apartments in high-density areas, the CBD, Fortitude Valley, South Bank, and New Farm face fewer restrictions.

Why it matters

Brisbane's rental vacancy rate sits around 1%, making it one of the tightest markets in Australia. This measure is expected to alleviate the tight rental market in Brisbane, which recently became the second-most expensive capital city in Australia.

With the 2032 Olympics on the horizon, council is walking a tightrope between visitor accommodation needs and housing locals.

Bottom line: If you're running an Airbnb in a Brisbane suburb, you've got six months to decide—apply for development approval or switch to long-term tenants.