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The Perth city skyline seen from Kings Park, with roads and trees below, the Swan River on the right and flowering shrubs in the foreground

Where to stay in Perth

Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Perth

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About Perth

The six areas in this guide run from the CBD on the Swan River to the ocean beaches at Cottesloe and Scarborough, about 16 to 30 km by road from Terminal 1 at the airport. Every holiday rental in Western Australia must show a state registration number, and the City of Perth meters the CBD at AUD 7 an hour.

Australia. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Perth Airport (PER); about 16 to 30 km by road from Terminal 1 to the areas in this guide. Source
Entry for EU and UK citizens
The eVisitor (subclass 651) is free, valid for 12 months and allows up to 3 months after each entry. It must be granted before travel. Source
Entry for US citizens
The Electronic Travel Authority (ETA, subclass 601), applied for in the Australian ETA app for an AUD 20 service fee, valid for 12 months with up to 3 months after each entry. Source
Tourist tax
No Western Australian or council levy on short stays was found as of September 2026. Advertised prices must be the total price, taxes and unavoidable fees such as cleaning included; GST is 10%. Source
Registration number
Since 1 January 2025 every short-term rental of under 3 months, hosted or not, must be on the state register and show its registration number clearly in each advertisement. Source
Council approval
In the Perth metropolitan area a whole home let without the host present for more than 90 nights in 12 months needs development approval from the council. Hosted rentals are exempt. Source
Parking with a rental car
City of Perth kerbside, Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm: CBD AUD 7 an hour, Northbridge AUD 6, East Perth and West Perth AUD 5.40. Council car parks charge AUD 5 for the night from 6pm. Source
Monthly stays
The Residential Tenancies Act 1987 does not apply to a genuine holiday let; a fixed term of 3 months or longer is deemed not to be a holiday unless the contrary is proved. Source
Currency
Australian dollar (AUD). Cash over AUD 10,000 must be declared on arrival. Source
Emergency numbers
000, or 112 from a mobile phone Source

Areas of Perth

Perth CBD

The central business district on the Swan River, between the river, Kings Park and Newcastle Street, with the shops and entertainment of Hay Street and Murray Street and the Elizabeth Quay waterfront. It suits a first visit and a business trip.

Perth Airport (T1)
about 17 km
Northbridge
about 2 km

Car and parking

Kerbside parking costs AUD 7 an hour (minimum AUD 2), Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm unless signed, and returning to the same section of road within an hour is an offence in time-limited areas. Council car parks charge AUD 5 for the night from 6pm.

A NORTHBRIDGE sign strung across a street in Northbridge lined with trees and shops, with cars on the road and a building with a spire further along
Photo: The Logical Positivist, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Northbridge

An inner suburb across the railway lines from the CBD, a multicultural precinct with laneway bars, restaurants and cafes and Perth's main nightlife district around James Street and Lake Street. It suits a stay built around evenings out.

Perth Airport (T1)
about 17 km
Perth CBD
about 2 km

Car and parking

Kerbside parking costs AUD 6 an hour, Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm unless signed; card payments carry a 0.96% surcharge, and council car parks charge AUD 5 for the night from 6pm.

Townhouses and apartment buildings along the water of Claisebrook Cove in East Perth, with cars parked on the waterfront street
Photo: Grantboxer, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

East Perth

An inner suburb next to the CBD around Claise Brook and Claisebrook Cove, rebuilt from industrial land in the largest inner-city urban renewal project in the state. It suits a quieter city stay and a month in an apartment.

Perth Airport (T1)
about 16 km
Perth CBD
about 2 km

Car and parking

Kerbside parking costs AUD 5.40 an hour, Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm unless signed; on Brown Street in Claisebrook it is AUD 4.50 with a AUD 15 weekday maximum.

High Street in Fremantle, lined with stone and painted brick buildings with decorated facades, cars parked along one side and bicycles at a rack
Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fremantle

The port city at the mouth of the Swan River, with Fremantle Prison, a World Heritage Site, the West End's streets of late Victorian and Edwardian buildings, the Round House and the Fremantle Markets. It suits a stay with character away from the CBD, and a month.

Perth Airport (T1)
about 28 km
Perth CBD
about 22 km

Car and parking

Thirty minutes are free on High Street and Adelaide Street. Street zones of 1 to 3 hours cost AUD 4.60 an hour, and council car parks AUD 3 an hour (AUD 15 a day) in the centre or AUD 2.40 (AUD 12 a day) on the fringes.

Cottesloe Beach seen from the water, with swimmers, people on the sand, a beachfront pavilion building with arches and tall pines behind the beach
Photo: -wuppertaler, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cottesloe

A western suburb on the Indian Ocean around Cottesloe Beach, one of the best-known places in Western Australia, reachable by train and with offshore reefs that make it a relatively safe place to swim. It suits a beach stay between Perth and Fremantle.

Perth Airport (T1)
about 30 km
Perth CBD
about 13 km
Fremantle
about 9 km

Car and parking

The Town of Cottesloe provides free unrestricted and time-limited parking throughout the suburb for the shops and beaches. Rangers enforce the signed limits, and permit areas are reserved for eligible residents and their visitors.

Scarborough seen from a hotel tower, with shops, large open-air car parks, a swimming pool by the beach and the sand running south along the ocean
Photographed in 2020. Photo: Benjamin Shaw, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Scarborough

A coastal suburb about 14 km north-west of the city centre in the City of Stirling, with a landmark high-rise hotel from 1986 and a beach that has hosted the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships. It suits a beach stay with a car.

Perth Airport (T1)
about 28 km
Perth CBD
about 13 km

Car and parking

Scarborough is not among the City of Stirling's paid parking areas. The beach car parks show live bay counts on signs, and the free SURFCat bus runs from Stirling station every 10 minutes.

Guides

Questions

Is there a tourist tax in Perth?

No Western Australian or council levy on short stays was found as of September 2026. Under ACCC guidance the advertised price must be the total price, with GST and unavoidable fees such as cleaning included.

How can a guest check that a Perth holiday rental is registered?

Since 1 January 2025 every short-term rental must be on the state register, and its registration number must be shown clearly in the advertisement. The public can check on the register whether a number is valid.

Which area suits a beach stay?

Cottesloe, where the council provides free street parking with signed time limits, or Scarborough, which is not among the City of Stirling's paid parking areas and has a free shuttle bus from Stirling station.

What do EU, UK and US visitors need to enter Australia?

EU and British citizens can apply for a free eVisitor; US citizens apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) in the Australian ETA app for AUD 20. Both allow up to 3 months after each entry and must be granted before travel.