Short Stay Rental Accommodation Local Law

Over 1.6 million people stay overnight when visiting the Peninsula each year, making it the third largest short stay rental accommodation destination in Australia. The Mornington Peninsula Shire Council welcomes greater numbers of visitors to the region, but must also ensure that the local communities continue to enjoy the benefits the area has to offer.

In May 2018, Council adopted the Short Stay Rental Accommodation Local Law, providing clear guidelines on the required standards for the operation of this type of accommodation. The Local Law places the responsibility for occupant behaviour on the owner of the property.

In August 2022 Council adopted the Short Stay Rental Accommodation (Amendment) Local Law of 2022.

Council recognises that most operators of Short Stay Rental Accommodation act responsibly and manage their property appropriately. However, the extent of community concern has been so significant that controls were considered necessary.

Information for Property Owners

Information for Property Owners

The Local Law places the responsibility on the owner to control the behaviour of the occupants of Short Stay Rental Accommodation. This is done by requiring the owner to:

  • Register the property with Council
  • Appoint a designated contact person to respond to neighbour complaints within two hours
  • Ensure occupants adhere to the Code of Conduct
  • Provide adequate off-street parking and garbage bins
  • Display your registration number on all online platforms that advertise the property

As the owner of a Short Stay Rental Accommodation, you should read through the Local Law and the Code of Conduct (don’t worry, it’s not too long). A copy of the Local Law and Code of Conduct can be found below.

Document templates

To assist with meeting the requirements for owners, the Shire has provided some templates that can be edited and used to advise neighbours of designated contact details and occupants of the code of conduct.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see the below fact sheet which may help answer some further questions for owners of Short Stay Rentals.

Change of details

If the details of your current registration have changed, please let us know using the change of details online form or contact us.

Information for Neighbours

Information for Neighbours

The Local Law is in place to ensure that Short Stay Rental Accommodation can operate without having an impact on the surrounding area. If you think that someone near you may be running a Short Stay Rental that is having an impact on you, it can help to know the requirements set out in the Local Law. An owner of a Short Stay Rental must:

  • Register the property with Council
  • Appoint a designated contact person to respond to neighbour complaints within two hours
  • Ensure occupants adhere to the Code of Conduct
  • Provide adequate off street parking and garbage bins

 For more information, you can read the Local Law and Code of Conduct linked below.

Short Stay Rental Accommodation Local Law(PDF, 150KB)

Short Stay Rental Accommodation Code of Conduct(PDF, 135KB)

What to expect from Short Stay Rental Accommodation owners

Owners of Short Stay Rental Accommodation have a number of requirements that must be met. You may have a Short Stay Rental near you without even knowing it. Whilst most Short Stay Rental Accommodation can operate without having any impact, you may still expect some interaction with the owner.

The owner of a Short Stay Rental must provide the adjoining neighbours, including directly across the street, details for a designated contact. This person can be contacted 24/7 if there are any issues with occupants not complying with the code of conduct at a Short Stay Rental. Once the person is contacted, the Local Law requires them to respond to any complaints within two hours.

Reporting any issues

If you experience any issues with Short Stay Rental Accommodation near you, there are a few options available.

Call the Contact. If you are experiencing any issues with occupants of a Short Stay Rental, you can call the designated contact. A designated contact is required by the Local Law to respond to any complaints within two hours.

Call the Council. Whilst Council may not be available to deal with all issues at the time, you may still report any issues. Council may contact the owner and, in the case of several complaints or any serious issues, Council may decide to cancel the registration. To report an issue please contact us or lodge a complaint on the Report a Problem page.

Call the Police. It is not expected that anyone should put themselves in danger when trying to deal with any issues. In the case of large parties late at night or violent or threatening behaviour you should contact 000.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please see the below fact sheet which may help answer some further questions for owners of Short Stay Rentals.

Fact File for Neighbours 
(PDF, 201KB)

Register a new Short Stay Rental

Step 1.Learn the Requirements

If you are registering your property for Short Stay Rental Accommodation for the first time, make sure that you're familiar with all the requirements for Short Stay Rental Accommodation owners. You can find further information on what you need to know in the Information for Property Owners tab.

Step 2.Lodge Your Application

Applications must include contact details for your designated contact and an application fee of $352. Once you have all the details you need and you're ready to apply, you can make your application online.

Apply Online

Once your application has been received you can expect to receive a response within 10 business days.

Step 3.Receive Your Registration

Council will send you notification of your successful registration. Registrations expire after 12 months. Council will send you a reminder when your registration is due to expire. If you would like to re-register your property for another 12 months, you can do so on the Re-Register an Expiring Short Stay Registration tab.

Re-Register an Expiring Short Stay Rental

Step 1.Notification of Expiry

Shortly before your registration is due to expire, Council will send you a notification. This notification will provide you with the details required to make an application to re-register your property. If your property is expiring soon and you have not yet received a notification please contact us.

Step 2.Apply to Re-Register

To register your property, you will be required to confirm the details of your registration and pay an application fee. Please make sure you have your notification handy, as you will need to include some details included in this letter. If the Local Law and Code of Conduct is not being complied with Council may elect not to renew your registration.

Re-Register

Once your application has been received you can expect to receive a response within 10 business days.

Step 3.Receive Your Registration

Council will send you notification of your successful registration. Registrations expire after 12 months. Council will send you a reminder when your registration is due to expire.

Cancel a registration

Cancel a registration 

If your current registration is due to expire and you don't want to re-register, you can let us know that you'd like to cancel your registration.

You can cancel your registration if you no longer intend to operate as a Short Stay Rental. If you resume operating as a Short Stay Rental in the future, you will need to register your property again.

Cancel Registration

Who can I talk to if I still have more questions?

If you need any further information we'd be very happy to help you. For details on how to get in touch please see our contact us page.

What are the rules?

 The requirements for Short Stay Rental Accommodation are set out in the Local Law(PDF, 169KB) and Code of Conduct(PDF, 135KB)

Registration Fees

The cost for registering a new or expiring Short Stay Rental property is $352 and registration is for a 12-month period.

Cancellation of Registration

If no longer wishing to operate your property as a Short Stay Rental, please fill out a cancellation request form. Please note Short Stay Rental registration is not transferrable between owners.

How do I report an issue?

Issues can be reported by contacting the designated contact for a registered property at the time of the issue, or by contacting the Shire. For details on how to get in touch please see our contact us page.

More questions?

Some further information can be found in the Owners Fact File(PDF, 204KB) and the Neighbours Fact File(PDF, 201KB) .

Related Information

Back to top