Global Regulatory Notes (5)
Toronto, ON raised MAT; Centre Wellington, ON's refinement of STR bylaw; Radium Hot Springs, BC updated zoning bylaws; Alberta, Canada mandates price transparency; EU's STR regulations; Cumbria, England's mayor on visitor levies; Barcelona, Spain; Hokkaido, Japan; Bali, Indonesia; READ MORE.
🇨🇦 Canada
Toronto, ON
To capture tourism revenue from major events, chief among them the FIFA World Cup (June 11–July 19, 2026), Toronto raised its Municipal Accommodation Tax from 6% to 8.5%, a rate that runs from June 1, 2025 through July 31, 2026.
Airbnb is offering $1,000 to first-time hosts listing now but Toronto's rules remain unchanged. Registration is mandatory and only primary residences qualify.
Centre Wellington, ON
After months of refinement, Centre Wellington's STR bylaw is nearly locked. The latest draft on February 23 limits licenses to 265, occupancy to eight per guest, and requires owner-occupied B&Bs.
Public input comes March 23; council votes in April. Implementation kicks off in early 2027.
Radium Hot Springs, BC
Radium Hot Springs adopted updated zoning bylaws in February 2026 that establish new definitions for hotels, motels, short-term rentals, and tourist accommodations to standardize building codes.
The changes concentrate STRs in specific zones while preserving residential areas, with a seven-year transition period for existing properties.
Village of Radium Hot Springs Zoning Bylaw No. 528, 2026
Alberta
Introduced last February 2025, Alberta's new Traveller Protection and Destination Development Act mandates full-price transparency at booking with no hidden fees allowed.
The legislation also creates a province-wide framework for destination marketing fees, letting tourism businesses voluntarily charge customers to fund local tourism promotion.
Accommodation policy explanation from Alberta Tourism & Sport | View full document here
🇪🇺 European Union
The European Commission plans to build on the current EU STR Regulation (Regulation 2024/1028) which establishes harmonised data-collection and sharing rules for platforms, and introduce further legislation under the forthcoming Affordable Housing Act.
This expanded framework aims to address housing affordability alongside transparency requirements.
⦾ EU Short-Term Rental Data Regulation (Regulation 2024/1028)
⦾ EU regulation on data collection and sharing for short-term accommodation rentals
🏴 Cumbria, England
Once the legislation passes, the new Cumbrian mayor to be elected on May 2027 will gain the power to introduce visitor levies. The Government has already approved the devolved mayoral authority framework.
Vehicle charges and bed taxes are both available options.
🇪🇸 Barcelona, Spain
Effective April 1, 2026, Barcelona's short-term rental tourist tax doubles from €6.25 to €12.50 per person, per night following a late-February vote by Catalonia's regional parliament. The hike is designed to address overtourism and the city's housing crisis, with one-quarter of collected taxes directed toward housing.
Barcelona first introduced its tourist tax in 2012 and has steadily increased it since.
🇯🇵 Hokkaido, Japan
In 2026, Hokkaido joined nearly 30 other Japanese localities in introducing tax on all accommodations including hotels, inns, and short-term rentals.
Revenue is earmarked for infrastructure upgrades, public transport, and environmental conservation which is part of Japan's broader push to manage surging post-pandemic tourism sustainably.
🇮🇩 Bali, Indonesia
Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism has set a firm March 31, 2026 deadline for all Bali short-term rental operators to achieve full legal compliance.
Thousands of non-compliant listings on Airbnb and Booking.com are expected to be pulled, tightening supply across popular areas like Canggu, Ubud, and Seminyak.
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