Global Regulatory Notes

Keep a pulse on global regulatory trends. Featuring critical updates and recent news on short-term rental policies around the world, we highlight key developments shaping the industry. 🌐

☃️ Calgary, Canada

To continue from the previous report, Calgary city council has approved new regulations for short-term rentals (STRs). Airbnb's policy lead, Alex Howell, claims that the new rules will negatively impact Calgary’s economy and tourism industry, noting that there is little evidence linking STRs to long-term housing shortages. 

While some council members argue that these changes will create a fairer market by distinguishing between primary and non-primary residences, opponents, including local hosts, worry that these regulations will harm small businesses and local employment, particularly in an economy already struggling with low employment rates. The new rules are seen as a proactive attempt to avoid issues faced by other regions, but there are concerns about whether they will lead to unintended consequences for both STR hosts.

You may click here to view the city's official timeline and approved list of regulations.

🏖️ Greece

Previously, Greece introduced a draft law to modernize its current tourism regulations. Now, it faces opposition from the Short-Term Accommodation Managers Association (STAMA).

The controversial provision in Article 3 of the draft law would exclude properties converted into short-term rentals after 2011, unless they were legally repurposed. STAMA argues that this measure unfairly penalizes property owners who have revitalized disused spaces in urban centers. The association claims that the provision violates the Greek Constitution, risks significant financial losses for property owners, and threatens urban renewal efforts. Furthermore, it could discourage future investments in Greece’s real estate and tourism sectors.

STAMA has called for a revision of the legislation, suggesting that the current framework be maintained and more incentives be offered for property upgrades. The draft law, which is currently under public consultation, would also exclude properties that changed use without prior approval, which STAMA warns will negatively impact owners who invested in rejuvenating abandoned spaces. It has proposed fostering collaboration between the government and the short-term rental sector to avoid penalizing the tourism industry.

🏨 Spain

Spain has become the first EU nation to introduce a centralized digital registry for short-term rentals, requiring all properties listed on platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com to register and display a unique ID starting January 2025, with enforcement beginning in July.

Known as the Ventanilla Única Digital, this system aims to tackle illegal rentals, improve tax compliance, and address housing affordability issues, particularly in tourist-heavy cities like Málaga and Sevilla, where short-term rentals have significantly driven up rents. The regulation aligns with the EU’s 2026 rental reform goals and Spain’s Royal Decree 933/2021, known as the "Big Brother" law, was enforced on December 2, 2024 which mandates travel agencies, hotels, and car rental companies to collect extensive data from tourists while giving local governments more authority to enforce rules regarding rentals.

A six-month transition period offers stakeholders time to adapt to this groundbreaking policy, which sets a precedent for EU-wide reforms.

❄️ Quebec 

Quebec has rolled out the final phase of Law 25 (linked below), targeting illegal short-term vacation rentals. Since September 2023, the province introduced a public registry allowing users to check whether a short-term rental is registered and compliant with local regulations. This registry provides important details such as registration numbers, the status of the property, and its address, offering greater transparency. However, Airbnb has raised concerns about safety risks related to displaying host addresses publicly.

The law places the responsibility on platforms like Airbnb to ensure that their listings comply with the regulations or face fines of up to $100,000 for each illegal listing. The province initially struggled with low compliance, but after the new registry was introduced, the compliance rate improved dramatically from 58% in August 2023 to 90% in early 2024, showing the effectiveness of the new oversight measures.

🍁 Toronto, Canada

Starting January 1, 2025, Toronto will implement the final phase of its short-term rental bylaws, completing a three-phase update.

Key changes include an increase in the registration and renewal fee to $375 and a requirement for hosts to choose whether they are renting their entire home or just part of it. Partial-unit hosts are limited to advertising one fewer bedroom than available and cannot rent out the entire unit at the same time. This follows previous phases that introduced clarifications on what constitutes a short-term rental and a principal residence, required hosts to post emergency contact information and exit diagrams, and reduced the registration revocation process from 40 to 10 days.

Phase 2 also added requirements for more documentation, in-person interviews with the City, and annual inspections of registered properties. Furthermore, registration is tied to the host’s principal residence address, and only one registration per dwelling unit is allowed. Hosts who have their registration revoked will be prohibited from reapplying for one year. The regulations aim to ensure fair oversight and compliance within the short-term rental sector, balancing market regulation with housing availability.

A link to Toronto's official link can be found here.

🏛️ Athens, Greece

Athens has introduced a one-year freeze on new short-term rental registrations in over a dozen popular districts, including Kolonaki, Koukaki, Pangrati, and Exarchia, effective January 2024. This move seeks to address housing shortages and rent pressures caused by the rapid growth of platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, which currently list nearly 18,000 properties in the city. Property owners were required to declare rentals in these areas by December 31, 2023, or face fines starting at €20,000.

The character of our districts must not be altered, nor should the right to profit of one person prevent the right to housing of another . Many cities and countries are struggling with how to regulate the short-term rental market. We are taking some important first steps in that direction. If we think more are needed, we will not hesitate to do them.”

- Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greek Prime Minister

The law also incentivizes landlords to switch from short-term to long-term rentals through tax breaks. Athens has previously implemented other regulations, such as mandatory licensing for landlords managing more than two properties, strict health and safety requirements, and standards for ventilation and liability insurance. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis highlighted that these measures aim to protect housing access while acknowledging the economic importance of short-term rentals to Greece’s tourism sector.

🍁 Nelson, British Columbia, Canada

Nelson’s short-term rental system is tightening as the city hits its cap of 110 annual licenses, leaving eight applicants on a waitlist and compelling officials to step up enforcement. City planner Alex Thumm highlighted that most operators comply with regulations, but some ignore rules and city communications, unfairly holding onto licenses. The city’s updated policy addresses this by enabling staff to refuse renewals for non-compliant operators, freeing up spots for those on the waitlist.

The changes reflect an evolution in enforcement practices since 2016, with Development Services now handling compliance checks. Key updates include removing outdated transitional clauses and introducing stricter renewal requirements, ensuring fairness while preserving the integrity of the system and addressing housing concerns tied to short-term rentals.

Emerging Global Trend 🌱

Governments worldwide are cracking down on short-term rentals with tougher rules like license caps, stricter categories, and mandatory registries to tackle housing issues and tax evasion.

• Categorization and Licensing: Cities are distinguishing between primary and non-primary residences, with tailored licensing fees and stricter limits for non-primary STRs.
• Centralized Registries and Unique IDs: Countries like Spain and Quebec are adopting centralized systems for tracking STRs and ensuring compliance.
• Digital Platform Accountability: Regulations require platforms like Airbnb to enforce compliance and pay operating fees.

It’s a clear shift: fewer rentals, more regulations, and platforms like Airbnb carrying more responsibility. Long-term, expect a more competitive, streamlined market—but with tighter profit margins and a heavier focus on compliance.