🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Croatia
Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo listings without a verified ID will be automatically blocked from June 2026
Croatia's New Hospitality Act Reshapes the Short-Term Rental Landscape
Photo by @hrvoje_photography
The Croatian government planned to restrict short-term tourist rentals last year, and now it's in force.
Croatia is drawing a hard line on short-term rentals. The country's new Hospitality Industry Act (ZGos-1), proclaimed by the President in October 2024 and now in force, fundamentally reshapes how apartment rentals operate. A second major wave of regulation arrives in June 2026, when mandatory registration numbers become required for every listed property.
Croatia to crack down on illegal tourist rentals with sweeping new law... https://t.co/9IeCrM6UIq
— Croatia Week (@CroatiaWeek) February 23, 2026
The law's most disruptive provision targets hosts in multi-unit residential buildings. Under ZGos-1, owners must secure consent from co-owners holding more than 75% of the building's co-ownership shares, plus written approval from directly adjacent neighbors. In two-unit buildings, 100% consent is required. Existing consents remain valid until December 31, 2026, after which all hosts have a five-year window to re-obtain neighbor approval, or face automatic permit revocation. Penalties for unauthorized rental operations can reach €4,000.
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The law also redefines who qualifies as a "host." Only owners whose permanent residence is registered in the same local area as the rental property earn that status and its associated benefits, a change that effectively disadvantages foreign property owners and absentee landlords.
On the platform side, starting June 1, 2026, Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, and any other listing platform will be prohibited from publishing properties without a verified registration number. The registration system, administered by municipal authorities, is free of charge and linked directly to platform APIs; unlisted or unverified properties will be automatically blocked.
‣ Effective date: October 2024 (ZGos-1); June 1, 2026 (registration mandate)
‣ Registration required: Yes, mandatory unique registration number from June 2026
‣ Night cap: Not specified
‣ Penalty for non-compliance: Fines up to €4,000 (unauthorized operations)
‣ Platform responsibility: Yes, platforms must block listings without a verified registration number
Watch for enforcement activity as the December 2026 consent deadline approaches and municipal authorities begin actively managing the new rental register.
Photo by Emily Rose
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