Register a commercial visitor accommodation

Every commercial visitor accommodation business operating in the Northern Territory (NT) is required to undergo registration and renewal every 5 years.

You can apply online to start a new registration, or to renew or cancel your existing registration.

Go to Territory Services

Who must register

You must register if your business provides accommodation for 7 or more visitors and you are receiving a payment or reward in return.

This includes:

• hotel or motel
• serviced apartment
• road house or wayside inn
• lodge or hostel
• backpacker or cabin accommodation.

It does not include businesses that are:

• subject to a:
  • tenancy agreement under the Residential Tenancies Act 1999
  • caravan park site agreement under the Caravan Parks Act 2012
• a small bed and breakfast
• staff or student accommodation.

When to apply

You must register if you have started a new or recently acquired a commercial visitor accommodation business.

Registration is valid for 5 years. You must then:

• renew at least 30 days before the expiry
• start a new application if registration has expired.

All businesses must cancel their registration within 14 days of selling or closing.

What you need

To start a new registration application, you will need:

• to verify your identity as part of the online registration or in person with an environmental health officer - get their contact details on the NT Health website
• business details including ACN or ABN
• contact information for the business proprietors
• floor or building plans that show bedrooms, toilets and bathing facilities
• evidence of water testing if the business uses private water supplies.

If you are renewing your registration, you will only need to include floor or building plans if substantial changes have been made to the business.

Fees

You are required to pay your fee on application for both new businesses and renewal applications.

The fee to register or renew is $362.

You must pay in the online form using a MasterCard or Visa credit or debit card.

Regulations

There are health guidelines and regulations for operators of commercial visitor accommodation.

The guidelines aim to minimise the risk of infectious disease transmissions, injury and other health-related complaints.

For more information, read the:

• public and environmental health guidelines for public accommodation on NT Health ePublications website
• Public and Environmental Health Regulations 2014 on the NT Legislation website.

Contact

For more information, contact Environmental Health. Get their contact details on the NT Health website.