Airbnb management on the Sunshine Coast: compare 51 managers

About short-term rental management on the Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast runs roughly 100 kilometres from Caloundra in the south to the Noosa North Shore, with the Blackall Range hinterland behind it. It is one of Australia's largest short-stay markets outside the capital cities, with apartment towers in Mooloolaba, Caloundra and Maroochydore, beach houses in Sunshine Beach, Peregian Beach and Kawana, and cottages around Montville and Maleny. Median revenue for a whole-property listing sat near $96,000 for the year to January 2026, with an average daily rate around $346, but returns vary widely by suburb and property type.

The region is split between two councils with very different approaches. Noosa Shire Council, covering Noosa Heads, Noosaville, Sunshine Beach and Peregian Beach, has enforced a Short Stay Letting and Home Hosted Accommodation Local Law since February 2022. Owners need an approval renewed each year, a 24-hour contact person within 20 kilometres, $10 million public liability cover and a guest code of conduct, with 2026-27 fees up to $1,748 to apply and $800 to renew for a standard house. Sunshine Coast Council, which covers everything else, has no registration scheme but rates any dwelling let for 28 days or less as transitory accommodation and lifted that rate for houses in 2026-27. Under its Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014, apartments in high density and tourist zones are generally permitted, while houses in low density and rural zones may need development approval. A proposed new planning scheme with a Short-Term Accommodation Code had not commenced as at September 2026. Queensland has no state register or levy.

Demand is strongly seasonal on the coast. Christmas to late January often exceeds 90 per cent occupancy, followed by Easter and the June to July and September school holidays. Events such as the Noosa Triathlon in late October and Ironman 70.3 Sunshine Coast in September add spikes, and February and March are the softest months. The hinterland runs the other way, peaking in winter.

Management fees typically run 15 to 25 per cent of bookings, though the base can be gross or net revenue and cleaning and linen may be charged separately. From 15 September 2026 Airbnb moves all remaining Australian hosts to a single host-only service fee of about 15.5 per cent of the booking subtotal, roughly 17 per cent with GST, replacing the old 3 per cent host fee and separate guest fee. Ask each manager how they are pricing for that change.