Caravans, Tiny Houses and Short Term Rental Accommodations

Introduction

In recent times, there has been increasing interest in living or staying in places other than your traditional detached house, or a bespoke hotel or motel. These alternate accommodations can be towed caravans or RVs, mobile homes, tiny houses, or months-long stays in a room, unit, or unhosted dwelling.

Staying at, or building, these kinds of alternate accommodations is permitted, but each comes with their respective sets of restrictions which this page will clarify.

Caravans & RVs

Typically caravans and RVs stop over at designated camping areas, overnight camping spots, or in caravan parks. In light of the ongoing housing shortage issue, the regulations surrounding temporary stays in areas other than the abovementioned have been updated to be more lenient.

These updated regulations are captured and governed in the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Regulations 1997.

External Link: Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Regulations 1997

Now, a person can stay in a caravan or RV outside of designated camping areas under the following scenarios and durations:

  • Up to 24 consecutive hours on a roadside rest area.
  • Up to 24 consecutive hours on a road reserve, provided it is an emergency, and does not cause a hazard to other road users.
  • Up to 5 consecutive nights on any property out of a 28 consecutive day period, provided they have permission from the owner or have a legal right to occupy.
  • Up to 24 consecutive months on any property, provided they have permission from the owner or have a legal right to occupy, and have permission from the Shire, and can stay on the land in a safe manner, and have ready access to services (power, clean water, cooking facilities, wastewater disposal).
    • Permission to stay another 24 months can be renewed as long as the property owner and Shire agree to it.
    • The Shire is satisfied that the land is suitable for the stay.
    • The Shire can attach any other conditions for this stay.

Purchasing a vacant lot with the intention of living in a caravan or RV with no plans to construct a proper dwelling will not be approved.

"Tiny Houses"

A "Tiny House" is a term is not recognized by legislation for determining the kind of building it is and any relevant regulations applicable.

Instead, tiny houses can fall into two categories: buildings or caravans (tiny houses on wheels). If your tiny house can still be freely towed away then it is governed by the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Regulation 1997 as a caravan. If it is to be towed to a site then fixed down permanently then it is governed by planning, building and health legislation and must go through the Development Approval and Building Approval processes as a building (dwelling, ancillary dwelling, or workforce accommodation depending on its purpose).

It follows that a person cannot stay on someone's land in a tiny house on wheels (aka a caravan) for a lengthy duration without Shire approval, per the Caravans & RVs section above.

Short-Term Rental Accommodations (STRAs)

Overview

Short-Term Rental Accommodations (STRAs) are dwellings or rooms within a dwelling that an owner (the "STRA operator") can rent out for a "short" stay, being up to 3 months. The main difference from traditional accommodations is that hotels, motels, and resorts are typically classed as commercial land uses and have to comply with all planning, building, health and fire safety regulations for their specific land use, while STRAs were previously governed under residential land uses and had no need to meet the same requirements despite serving the same purpose (temporary accommodation for commercial gain).

In support of their regulation the State has rolled out a state-wide register that all STRA operators must register to, and this mandatory requirement has been in effect since 1 January 2025.

Existing bed & breakfast accommodations fall under the new STRA definition and are required to sign up to the State Register. And while caravans and tiny houses on wheels are not considered structures, they are still eligible to serve as a STRA (longer stays will require permission from the Shire per the Caravan Parks and Camping Ground Regulations 1997).

Shire's Responsibility

The Shire's responsibility is limited to granting Development Approvals for properties intending to operate as a STRA, if required. For example, converting a dwelling into an unhosted STRA may trigger the need for a Development Approval due to change of land use. Building Approvals are also necessary but are not treated differently solely because a dwelling is to be used as a STRA.

Registration of STRAs on to the State Register and fee payment is between the STRA operator and the State Government via their online portal, with no involvement from the Shire (beside the granting of a Development Approval, as one of the questions for registration is whether a Development Approval is in place).

Additional Information

The Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has released a "Good Host Pack" containing useful information and procedures a STRA owner will need for authorised operation.

External Link: Short-Term Renal Accommodation - Good Host Pack

Additional information on the scheme is available on the Western Australian website below.

External Link: WA Website - Short-Term Rental Accommodation Planning Regulations

The Act governing STRAs is already In Force.

External Link: Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act 2024