🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - European Union

Europe Tightens the Reins on Short-Term Rentals Starting May

The European short-term rental market is about to hit a major turning point. Starting May 20, 2026, a comprehensive EU framework will reshape how platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com operate across Europe, with France, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, and other nations implementing coordinated restrictions aimed at protecting local housing markets.

Here's what's driving the change: in some European city centers, up to 20% of housing stock has shifted to tourist rentals, pushing local residents out as rents skyrocket. The numbers tell the story: 854.1 million guest nights were booked via major platforms in 2024, an 18.8% jump from 2023. Paris alone saw 23.5 million guest nights, followed by Rome with 15.7 million and Barcelona with 12.5 million.

The New Rules at a Glance

Under EU Regulation 2024/1028, every host will need to register with local authorities and obtain an identification number. Platforms must display this registration info and share crucial data, including rental nights, guest numbers, and property locations, through national digital entry points. Cities can now cap annual rental nights or restrict short-term rentals to specific seasons, requiring hosts to offer long-term housing (like student accommodation) during off-peak months.

The framework distinguishes between casual hosts supplementing income and professional operators running multiple properties, addressing unfair competition concerns from the traditional hotel industry.

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Already Making Waves

Several countries jumped ahead of the EU timeline. Spain fined Airbnb over unlicensed listings in 2025, and Barcelona announced it will phase out tourist apartment licenses completely by late 2028. France introduced tighter compliance rules and "change of use" requirements, sometimes demanding housing "compensation" before residential-to-tourist conversions. Germany's tackling furnished "micro-letting" arrangements that critics say dodge existing controls.

What's Next

European Commissioner Dan Jørgensen promises additional legislative proposals by late 2026, focusing on defining and protecting "areas under housing stress." These won't ban short-term rentals outright but will authorize cities to restrict or limit them in particularly pressured neighborhoods, typically historic centers where tourism density hits hardest.

The Bottom Line

Budget travelers might see reduced availability and potentially higher prices in peak destinations, but the regulations promise fairer competition and more transparent markets. For local communities, it's about reclaiming neighborhoods transformed by tourism's rapid expansion, ensuring that the places people visit remain livable for those who call them home.

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