Register a prescribed accommodation business
What is it?
A registration lists your business on public record. All prescribed accommodation providers must register with the Council.
This is a requirement of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.
Who's it for?
You’ll need to register your accommodation business if you plan on operating any of the following:
- bed and breakfasts
- rooming house
- hotels and motels
- guesthouses
- boutique hotels
- self-contained accommodation
- hostel or student dormitory.
You do not need to register your business if you operate any of the following:
- caravan parks
- public hospitals and nursing homes
- retirement villages
- premises that accommodate five or fewer people.
Read the Public Health and Wellbeing (Prescribed Accommodation) Regulations 2020 for further clarification.
You may receive a fine if you start a new accommodation business, or take over an existing accommodation business, without a registration.
Registered rooming houses can be found on the Consumer Affair rooming house registry
Short stay accommodation
Domestic-scale short-stay accommodation and rentals, defined as private apartments, houses, and rooms rented out for days or months via online providers such as Airbnb, Stayz, and Booking.com, don’t require registration under the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2020.
You don’t need a permit to operate this type of accommodation if:
- the accommodation is self-contained
- contains no more than 9 bedrooms
- accommodates no more than 12 people.
Will I need more than one?
How many permits, licences, and registrations you need depends on your business.
If you think you might need more than one permit, use our Business Permit Finder to determine the permits you need.
Fees
| Number of residents/rooms | Annual Renewal of Registration Fee | New Application Fee | Transfer of Registration Fee | Transfer Inspection Report Fee |
| 1 - 10 | $320.00 | $168.00 | $176.00 | $232.00 |
| 11 - 20 | $475.00 | $168.00 | $176.00 | $232.00 |
| 21 - 40 | $664.00 | $168.00 | $300.00 | $348.00 |
| 41 - 60 | $1,112.00 | $168.00 | $300.00 | $348.00 |
| 61 - 80 | $1,857.00 | $168.00 | $454.00 | $464.00 |
| 81+ | $2,292.00 | $168.00 | $454.00 | $464.00 |
The Renewal fee decreases on a pro-rata basis of 1/4 every 3 months.
| Time period | Fee amount |
| 1st quarter | full fee |
| 2nd quarter | 75% of fee |
| 3rd quarter | 50% of fee |
| 4th quarter | 25% fee |
Before you apply
Look at our kit to help you understand the requirements for prescribed accommodation:
The kit explains why you need to register your business and the rules you need to follow.
These rules cover:
- the number of people allowed in each room
- rubbish storage
- water supply
- the number of toilets, showers, and hand basins required.
You can always talk to a team member about the rules and regulations for your accommodation business.
When you apply
To apply to register your business, you’ll need to:
- submit floor plans showing the layout of the premises and how it complies with the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009
- submit an Application for Registration of a Prescribed Accommodation Premises form (PDF 711 KB)
- pay the relevant fee.
Advice for meeting the Regulations can be found in the approval kit, or you can contact our Health Services team.
After you apply
An Environmental Health Officer will assess the plans and inspect the premises to ensure it is suitable for registration.
We will issue a certificate of registration when the application has been approved. You need this to operate your business.
Transfer of registration
To transfer the business registration complete the Application for Transfer of Registration form (DOC 87 KB).
Registration transfers are only official when they’re approved by the Council.
Contact us
Our Health Services team is here to help.
Send us a message on My Port Phillip
Email: healthservicesunit@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Phone: 03 9209 6292