Holiday house or unit rental

Families, groups of friends and couples on holiday, plus people travelling for events or weddings.

Nightly rates with a cleaning fee, with higher prices in peak season and school holidays. Costs include cleaning, linen, utilities, platform fees and repairs.

• Budgeting and pricing
• Organising cleaners and tradies
• Customer service

• Buying a property is a much larger cost than the startup range shown, which assumes you already have access to a suitable property
• Council approval, registration or night limits for short-term accommodation, which differ widely
• Landlord or strata permission if you do not own the property
• Insurance designed for short-term rentals and public liability cover
• Smoke alarm, pool fencing and other safety rules for rentals, so check your state's requirements
• Quiet periods and bad weather can leave you with costs and no bookings
• GST and income tax obligations, so speak to an accountant

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $10,000 to $50,000, depending on furnishing, setup, insurance and registration. This assumes you already have access to a suitable property, as buying one costs much more.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on location, property size, season and how often it is booked. Quiet periods and bad weather can leave you with costs and no bookings.

Check council approval, registration or night limits for short-term accommodation, which differ widely. Also check landlord or strata permission, short-term rental insurance, safety rules such as smoke alarms and pool fencing, and GST and tax with an accountant.