Perth short-term rental market report 2026

By MadeComfy

Your Perth property could earn substantially more from short stays. Professionally managed two-bedroom apartments in Scarborough generated estimated annual gross revenue of about $82,000, compared with $39,000 from the local long-term rental benchmark. In the CBD and East Perth, the gross difference was around $31,000–$32,000 a year before costs.

We see a strong case for reviewing your rental strategy in 2026. Borrowing costs have risen and Perth’s sales market has cooled, while short-stay revenue and airport traffic have grown. Well-positioned city apartments and coastal homes have opportunities to earn more. The useful question is how much of that extra income you could keep.

Perth short-term versus long-term rental income

Compare professionally managed two-bedroom apartments with long-term two-bedroom unit rents in nine Perth suburbs. Start with your location; the property-size table below covers studios through to larger homes.

Australian dollars. Short-term figures are estimated gross market revenue for the year to August 2026, including guest cleaning charges and before owner costs. Linked REIWA suburb profiles supply median two-bedroom unit rents for the three months to August, annualised over 52 paid weeks. The figures compare different groups of homes, with differences in quality, availability and market boundaries; they do not measure an uplift on the same property.

Scarborough stands out: a gross income difference of about $43,000 and the largest professional apartment sample in this comparison. Fremantle, the CBD and East Perth also have substantial gaps over their local lease benchmarks.

West Perth and North Fremantle have the highest estimates, drawn from smaller samples: seven and eight qualifying apartments recorded a booking in the latest month. Cottesloe and Subiaco had 13 and 12. In these markets, comparable homes in your building or immediate area are particularly useful for testing the suburb average.

Scarborough: what could you keep after management?

Scarborough’s estimated two-bedroom short-stay revenue of $81,998 compares with a median long-term rent of $750 a week. Allowing for management fees on both sides gives the following illustration.

Illustrative management allowances, not fee quotes. Figures are rounded independently. Income after management is before costs outside the management arrangement, rather than final net profit.

That leaves approximately $29,300–$31,400 a year before outside costs to cover the additional expenses of short stays and improve your return. Check your proposal for any separate platform charges, cleaning and linen, utilities, insurance, maintenance and furnishing costs. Avoid counting charges twice. Guest cleaning fees are included in the revenue, so the corresponding cleaning expense needs to be included too.

On the long-term side, allow for letting fees and vacancy. Finance, tax and other property holding costs sit outside this illustration.

Subiaco is a closer decision. Its $850 weekly lease benchmark leaves around $5,000–$6,600 after management, before outside costs. Your apartment would need lower additional expenses or better-than-average short-stay performance to turn that smaller gap into an income improvement.

Find out what your Perth property could earn

Enter your address to see your property’s estimated monthly gross income with MadeComfy. Compare it with your current rent or a rental appraisal: a $750 weekly lease is $3,250 a month across 52 paid weeks. Our team can then help you assess what the difference could mean after costs and any dates you reserve for yourself.

Perth’s property market: income matters more as growth cools

Perth’s sales market has cooled after a strong run. REIWA’s June-quarter update recorded a 2.0% decline in the median house sale price and a 2.8% decline for other dwellings, including apartments and townhouses. Both remained substantially higher than a year earlier. For owners, it puts more attention on what the property earns while you hold it.

Buyers have more choice too. Perth had 7,335 properties advertised for sale at the end of August, more than double the number a year earlier. If you are buying, compare the purchase price, strata levies and furnishing budget with the income the apartment could realistically produce.

Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank raised the cash rate to 4.60% in September. Each quarter-percentage-point increase passed through to a $600,000 interest-only loan adds $1,500 a year in interest. Your actual mortgage rate depends on your loan and lender, but stronger rental income can help with the cost of holding the property.

Long-term renting remains a strong alternative. Perth’s rental vacancy rate was 1.9% in August, below REIWA’s range for a balanced market. The income gaps in this report are measured against that competitive rental market. For suitable properties, short stays offer additional earning potential alongside flexibility over when you use the home.

Travel activity is moving in the right direction. Perth Airport recorded about 18.4 million passenger movements in 2025–26, up approximately 5.2%, with international traffic growing by about 8%. Passenger movements include residents and departures, so they are a measure of travel activity rather than a count of overnight visitors. Even so, the growth supports our positive outlook for conveniently located accommodation.

How much can Perth studios, apartments and larger homes earn?

Smaller properties deserve attention. Across greater Perth, professionally managed studios and one-bedroom homes produced estimated annual gross revenue close to $60,000.

Estimated annual gross market revenue for professionally managed entire homes, including all dwelling types in each size group. Four-plus bedrooms includes homes larger than four bedrooms. These broad benchmarks are separate from the local two-bedroom apartment comparisons above.

One-bedroom homes were a bright spot: revenue rose about 12% against the preceding year, compared with 6% for three-bedroom homes and 2% for two bedrooms. Studios achieved 82% occupancy of available nights. If you own a compact apartment, a usable kitchen, laundry access and somewhere comfortable to work can broaden its appeal beyond a weekend stay.

Larger homes produced the highest gross revenue: about $100,100 a year for four-plus bedrooms, roughly 3% below the preceding year. Here, the layout matters as much as the bedroom count. Enough bathrooms, parking and a dining table that seats the whole group make a family stay more practical. Assess the extra income alongside the larger furnishing and upkeep budget.

Perth Airbnb occupancy, nightly rates and seasonality

Professionally managed entire homes across greater Perth averaged approximately $74,200 in annual gross revenue, up about 5% against the previous annual period. Average occupancy was 76%, with an average daily rate of approximately $280. Occupancy measures the share of available nights booked, not every day of the year.

The local apartment figures show why neither occupancy nor nightly rate tells the whole story.

Same professionally managed two-bedroom apartment segment as the income comparison. Average daily rates are earned revenue per booked night, including cleaning charges, rather than advertised room-only prices. Asterisks mark the two smallest samples noted above.

Cottesloe earned more than Subiaco despite lower occupancy, supported by a much higher nightly rate. For your property, the aim is to earn well across the year. A full calendar at heavily discounted rates can leave you with more work and less income.

October and November were Perth’s strongest revenue months, both near $7,300 across the professional entire-home market. March also performed well, at about $7,000. June was softer, at roughly $4,900, before revenue recovered gradually through July and August.

February had the highest occupancy, close to 84%, but fewer nights to sell than March. Review spring and summer pricing early, then use minimum stays and longer-stay offers to improve quieter periods. A useful winter booking can reduce both empty nights and changeovers. Owner stays matter too: reserving a fortnight in November has a different income impact from reserving one in June.

Looking ahead, Perth Festival returns in February 2027, and Perth will host the Men’s Rugby World Cup opening match in October 2027, alongside a citywide Fan Festival. Keep relevant dates under review as enquiries and bookings develop. Any event premium should follow demand for your property; it is not included in the annual figures above.

Where to look for Perth short-stay opportunities

CBD and East Perth: give guests an easy route to their plans

A city apartment’s exact position can matter more than its postcode. For a home near Elizabeth Quay, the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre and train station are useful selling points for conference visitors as well as holidaymakers. Show the route from your building and make a working week practical with a proper desk and reliable Wi-Fi.

East Perth has a different appeal. Claisebrook Cove’s waterfront cafés and walkways suit guests who want a neighbourhood base near the city, while Matagarup Bridge connects East Perth with Optus Stadium. An apartment convenient to that walking route has a feature worth highlighting for match and concert stays. Price those dates separately from an ordinary midweek visit.

Northbridge: culture as well as nightlife

Northbridge’s restaurants and bars are only part of its appeal. The Perth Cultural Centre brings together WA Museum Boola Bardip, the Art Gallery of WA and the State Theatre Centre. That gives owners more to work with than a weekend nightlife listing. Be clear about the apartment’s street position and sound insulation so guests can choose a stay that suits them.

Scarborough and Cottesloe: turn the coastal setting into a better stay

Scarborough combines a strong income comparison with 78% occupancy for professional two-bedroom apartments. Its foreshore also offers more than a summer swim: the heated beach pool, skate park and winter markets provide reasons to visit in cooler months. If your property is nearby, show the actual walk to the precinct and make its parking and outdoor space easy to assess in the listing.

Cottesloe’s higher nightly rate makes the quality of the coastal experience especially relevant. A home near the Marine Parade foreshore with an ocean outlook competes differently from an apartment farther inland. Choose comparable properties with a similar position and finish before adopting the suburb’s premium rate as your target.

Fremantle and North Fremantle: two distinct guest experiences

Fremantle’s estimated two-bedroom apartment revenue of about $77,600 sits alongside a useful mix of visitor attractions. Victoria Quay has Rottnest ferries, the WA Maritime Museum and the passenger terminal, within a short walk of Fremantle station. For a central apartment, explain how guests can combine the heritage centre with an island day trip. Clear ferry-terminal directions are more useful than simply describing the property as “close to everything”.

In North Fremantle, Leighton Beach and the train connection let guests combine a coastal stay with trips into Fremantle and Perth. Show whether your apartment’s advantage is beach access, a river outlook or proximity to the station. These are distinct locations within the same suburb, and they should shape which homes you compare it with.

Perth short-term rental rules: registration and the 90-night exemption

WA’s rules provide a route to year-round short-term letting where the necessary approvals are in place. Residential short-term rental accommodation must be registered with the state’s STRA register. Registration and planning approval are separate requirements.

For an unhosted property in metropolitan Perth, the planning exemption allows up to 90 nights within the 12 months from registration. Those nights do not need to be consecutive. If you intend to operate for more than 90 nights, obtain development approval before taking bookings. The 90-night exemption is not a blanket annual cap on approved short-stay properties.

Hosted accommodation is generally exempt from development approval under the state reforms. For an investment apartment, also check the strata by-laws and any required consent, along with the conditions of its planning approval. Confirm the relevant safety requirements and insurance, keep registration current, and have the approved operating arrangements reflected in your income forecast.

Make the numbers specific to your property

The opportunity in Perth is worth testing against your address. Start with the calculator’s monthly gross estimate, then bring your current rent or rental appraisal to the conversation. That gives you a concrete comparison to work through with our team, including setup costs, ongoing expenses and the dates you want to keep for yourself.

Our Perth team brings together property presentation, pricing, listings across booking platforms, guest support and day-to-day management. The aim is to turn your home’s strongest features into bookings and a worthwhile return, with the work of running it handled for you.