Global Regulatory Notes (13)

WAVERLEY, AUSTRALIA

Waverley Local Housing Strategy

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A proposal before Waverley Council would slash the permitted days for non-hosted short-term rentals in Bondi, North Bondi, Bondi Beach and Tamarama from 180 to 90 annually and intensifying debate over whether tourist hotspots should prioritise visitors or residents.

Council data shows 8.6 per cent of occupied dwellings in the area are listed as holiday rentals, while two-bedroom unit rents now average $1295 weekly, nearly 40 per cent above the Greater Sydney norm.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Vienna is enforcing its 90-day per calendar year cap on short-term rentals in non-residential zones under the amended Building Code with violations carrying fines of up to €50,000. The city also confirmed its tourist tax will increase to 5% from July 1, 2026.

A further hike to 8% is scheduled for July 2027 as adopted by the Vienna Provincial Parliament on December 12, 2025. Operators exceeding the cap need an exception permit from the MA37 building authority to continue legally.

CANADA

GIBSONS, BC

Gibsons town council passed adoption and third reading of housekeeping amendments to its Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw at June 2 meeting. The amendments update mapping including a revised Environmentally Sensitive Areas map and commit Gibsons to cutting emissions 40% by 2035 and 80% by 2050.

Notably, the Zoning Bylaw amendment exempts the Mixed-Use Commercial Lower Gibsons zone from the town's 35-unit cap on non-principal residence short-term rentals and cites Gibsons Landing's appeal as tourist accommodation. The bylaw still requires adoption with additional zoning, landscaping and building height changes also included.

GUELPH/ERAMOSA, ON

Staff in Guelph/Eramosa have been directed to draft a short-term rental bylaw after councillors unanimously backed regulating STRs at a recent council meeting following an earlier request to study a zoning amendment and licensing system for agricultural and rural residential zones.

A staff report had contemplated options like a municipal accommodation tax and a licence cap, though nothing was approved or discussed at the meeting itself. There are currently 41 STR listings in the township, 35 of them are unique.

NORFOLK, ON

Watch in YouTube: https://youtu.be/2FBkKmQqO6A?t=10773

Norfolk County will begin charging a 4% tourist tax on hotels, motels and short-term rentals like Airbnbs starting in 2028, council confirmed Tuesday after months of debate. The MAT is forecast to bring in more than $700,000 annually for destination marketing and tourism infrastructure.

Implementation was timed to follow a new short-term rental bylaw which sets a July 1, 2027 registration deadline, a $25 yearly fee and inspections reduced to once every five years.

REVELSTOKE, BC

Facing a split community with survey data showing 35% of residents believing there are too many STRs and 20% saying there aren't enough, Revelstoke's council backed minimal change on June 16.

Staff had been developing a "Revelstoke specific" strategy since the province's October 2023 adoption of Bill 35 which permits resort municipalities to impose a primary residency rule.

SAANICH, BC

A motion to permit short-term rentals for up to 91 nights a year in Saanich tied 4-4, with Coun. Mena Westhaver's absence from the vote prompting the council to revisit the item once everyone is present. Nathalie Chambers cited affordability pressures on homeowners while Colin Plant pushed for a cap above 120 nights.

Saanich's outright ban currently overrides provincial allowances for sub-90-day rentals in principal residences. Staff figures put active listings above 500 and had proposed a 60 to 90-night cap to limit eviction risk.

TINY TOWNSHIP, ON

The Ontario Court of Appeal has dismissed a bid by the Tiny Township Association of Responsible STR Owners to overturn the township's short-term rental licensing bylaw which is first enacted in August 2022.

Justice Sally Gomery who's joined by justices Lene Madsen and Peter Osborne rejected claims that the bylaw was a disguised zoning measure and ordered the association to pay $20,000 in costs.

ESTONIA

Estonia's Ministry of Economic Affairs is drafting amendments to the Tourism Act to formally define and regulate short-term apartment rentals. Minister Erkki Keldo confirmed the plan on June 25 amid long-standing concerns from hotels that face compliance burdens unregulated Airbnb-style operators do not.

Proposed changes include clarifying that existing Schengen guest-registration rules apply to short-term rentals and stronger local government monitoring while easing select outdated hotel rules. Estonia expects the new framework to take effect in 2027 to 2028.

JOZSEFVAROS, HUNGARY

Budapest's Józsefváros district council approved a new framework on June 25, 2026 which will cap short-term rentals at 3.5% of housing stock, impose tighter 5% limits in the Palace Quarter and Corvin Quarter, and implement 20% cap on rental floor area per building.

Condominiums must approve new listings and residents can revoke consent for disruptive units. Final rules are expected in October and will take effect January 1, 2027, following Terézváros's earlier ban.

MACKENZIE, NEW ZEALAND

Mackenzie District councillors in New Zealand are considering reclassifying short-term visitor accommodation as a commercial activity after consultant Philip Jones noted providers currently pay roughly half the rates charged to other commercial operators in the district. Jones proposed two paths: absorbing the change into general rates or introducing a separate, higher commercial charge.

Councillor Phillipa Guerin called for robust, legally sound definitions while mayor Scott Aronsen said distinguishing short-term rentals from minor dwellings was essential. No final decision has been made with the matter set for further discussion.

Mackenzie's Visitor Accommodation Page

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TROMSO, NORWAY

Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/MRw23ESaEU4?t=2212

Connection between tourism, short-term rentals (STRs), and housing pressure has been discussed in Tromso Municipal Council

A conditional approval framework now positions Tromso to launch Norway's first municipal tourist tax on 1 January 2027 with pending final authorization from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries after the proposal's submission on 1 July. The charge responds to mounting pressure from Arctic tourism including over 1.3 million overnight stays recorded in 2025.

Set at 3% of accommodation costs and applied uniformly across hotels and short-term rentals, the fee would be collected by providers and channelled into infrastructure, sanitation and conservation projects. Neighbouring municipalities including Karlsøy, Balsfjord and Storfjord may adopt parallel systems given spillover tourism pressure.

ASTURIAS, SPAIN

The Principality of Asturias presented draft legislation introducing an optional tourist tax that municipalities can choose to apply. Revenue would flow entirely back to participating local councils, funding waste collection, infrastructure, sustainable transport and housing policy, and framed as part of the region's "Respeturismo" sustainable tourism push.

The levy targets stays during Easter and the summer high season with nightly rates from 0.5 to 3 euros depending on accommodation category and charges on cruises and festival camping. Following public consultation, officials now expect the tax to take effect in 2027.

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