Short-Term Rental Regulations by Country: A Host's Guide
Summary
Navigate short-term rental regulations across 10 major countries. Covers registration requirements, night limits, tax obligations, and compliance strategies for STR hosts.
Contents
Key facts
- The global short-term rental industry has grown to over $100 billion in annual bookings, and governments worldwide have responded with increasingly specific regulations.
- The US has no federal short-term rental law.
- The UK’s approach to STR regulation is evolving, with different rules for different constituent countries.
- France has some of Europe’s most developed STR regulations, particularly in Paris.
- Spain’s STR regulations are set at the regional (autonomous community) level, creating significant variation.
Why Regulations Matter More Than Ever
The global short-term rental industry has grown to over $100 billion in annual bookings, and governments worldwide have responded with increasingly specific regulations. Non-compliance can result in fines ranging from a few hundred dollars to six figures, listing removal from platforms, and in some jurisdictions, criminal charges.
Regulations are also changing rapidly. What was legal in 2024 may not be legal today. This guide covers the current regulatory landscape in 10 major countries, but hosts should treat this as a starting point and verify current rules with local authorities before listing.
Important disclaimer: This guide provides general information for educational purposes. It is not legal advice. Regulations change frequently, and local rules may differ from national guidelines. Always consult with a local legal professional or your municipality’s short-term rental office before hosting.
United States
The US has no federal short-term rental law. Regulation happens at the state, county, and city level, creating a patchwork of rules that varies dramatically by location.
New York City
New York City enacted Local Law 18 in 2023, creating one of the strictest STR regulatory environments in the world:
- Registration required: All short-term rental hosts must register with the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement (OSE)
- Host must be present: Rentals of fewer than 30 days are only legal if the host is physically present in the unit during the guest’s stay
- Maximum 2 guests: Short-term rentals are limited to 2 paying guests
- No locks on individual rooms: Interior doors to bedrooms cannot have locks, reinforcing the “host present” requirement
- Platform enforcement: Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com are prohibited from processing bookings for unregistered properties
These rules effectively ban traditional whole-home short-term rentals in NYC. Most hosts who operated full-time STR businesses have either shifted to 30+ day rentals or exited the market.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles operates a Home-Sharing Ordinance:
- Primary residence only: You can only short-term rent your primary residence (where you live at least 6 months per year)
- Registration required: Hosts must register with the Department of City Planning and display their registration number on all listings
- 120-night annual limit: Hosts may rent for up to 120 nights per year, extendable to 365 nights with an Extended Home-Sharing Permit if you have zero citations
- 14% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT): Collected automatically by major platforms
San Francisco
San Francisco requires:
- Primary residence only with at least 275 nights of personal occupancy per year
- 90-night annual cap when the host is not present during the rental
- No cap when the host is present (hosted rentals)
- Business registration and STR registration with the Office of Short-Term Rental
- 14% hotel tax collected by platforms
United Kingdom
The UK’s approach to STR regulation is evolving, with different rules for different constituent countries.
England (Focus on London)
London has a specific rule known as the 90-day rule:
- Properties in Greater London can be rented on a short-term basis for a maximum of 90 nights per calendar year without requiring planning permission
- Beyond 90 nights, hosts must apply for a change of use from the local council — a process that is often denied
- A mandatory national registration scheme was introduced in 2024, requiring all short-term rental properties in England to register with the local authority
- Platforms are required to verify registration before allowing listings
Outside London, there is currently no nationwide night cap, but local councils can implement their own restrictions.
Scotland
Scotland introduced a licensing scheme requiring all STR operators to obtain a license from their local council. Requirements vary by council but generally include safety inspections, planning permission verification, and ongoing compliance monitoring.
France
France has some of Europe’s most developed STR regulations, particularly in Paris.
Paris
- Primary residence limit: Hosts may rent their primary residence for a maximum of 120 nights per year
- Registration number required: All Paris STR listings must display a 13-digit registration number
- Non-primary residences: Renting a non-primary residence as an STR requires a change of use authorization (compensation requirement). In practice, this means purchasing or converting an equivalent commercial space to residential use — an expensive process that makes non-primary STR hosting impractical for most.
- Tourist tax: Collected automatically by platforms, rates vary by property classification
- Enforcement: Paris has dedicated enforcement officers and has filed thousands of cases against non-compliant hosts, with fines reaching up to 50,000 euros per violation
Rest of France
Outside Paris, rules vary by commune. Many cities with populations over 200,000 have adopted registration requirements, but the 120-night primary residence limit and change-of-use rules are specific to municipalities that have opted into the regulatory framework.
Spain
Spain’s STR regulations are set at the regional (autonomous community) level, creating significant variation.
Barcelona
Barcelona has taken one of the hardest lines against short-term rentals in Europe:
- New tourist apartment licenses are effectively frozen in the central city — the city announced in 2024 that it would not renew existing licenses after they expire in 2028
- Existing licensed properties must display their license number (HUTB number) on all listings
- Unlicensed STR hosting carries fines of up to 600,000 euros — among the highest in the world
- Inspectors actively patrol popular tourist neighborhoods and monitor platforms for unlicensed listings
Other Regions
- Madrid: Requires a tourist apartment license (Vivienda de Uso Turistico or VUT) and compliance with regional regulations
- Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Ibiza): Strict licensing with limits on total STR supply in certain zones
- Canary Islands: Licensing required, with specific rules varying by island
Italy
Italy introduced a national CIR (Codice Identificativo Regionale) system — a regional identification code that all short-term rental properties must obtain and display on listings.
Key requirements:
- CIR registration: Mandatory for all properties rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days. The code must be displayed on every listing and advertisement.
- 21% flat tax (cedolare secca): Applied to rental income from short-term lets, with a higher 26% rate applying to income from second and subsequent properties (effective 2024)
- Safety requirements: Smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers are mandatory
- Tourist tax: Varies by municipality — hosts are responsible for collecting it from guests and remitting it to the local authority
- Platform reporting: Airbnb and other platforms must report host income to Italian tax authorities
Individual cities layer additional rules. Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan each have specific regulations regarding permitted zones, maximum guest capacity, and additional registration requirements.
Germany
Germany regulates STRs primarily at the state (Bundesland) and municipal level.
Berlin
Berlin implemented a Zweckentfremdungsverbot (ban on misuse of residential space):
- Primary residence only: Hosts may rent their primary residence on a short-term basis
- Registration required: A registration number must be obtained from the district office and displayed on all listings
- Secondary residences: Renting a non-primary residence as an STR requires a special permit, which is difficult to obtain and limited to specific circumstances
- Fines: Violations can result in fines of up to 500,000 euros
- Enforcement: Berlin actively monitors platforms and has pursued enforcement actions against thousands of hosts
Other Cities
Munich, Hamburg, and other major German cities have similar restrictions, though the specifics vary. The common thread is that most German cities restrict STR hosting to primary residences and require registration.
Japan
Japan passed the Minpaku Law (Private Lodging Business Act) in 2018, creating a national framework:
- 180-night annual limit: Hosts may operate for a maximum of 180 nights per year nationwide
- Prefectural registration: Hosts must register with their local prefectural government
- Local restrictions: Municipalities can further restrict the 180-night limit. Some areas in Kyoto, for example, limit STRs to specific seasons or zones.
- Safety requirements: Fire alarms, emergency lighting, and specific room size minimums
- Neighborhood notification: Hosts must notify neighbors before starting STR operations
- Platform compliance: Booking platforms must verify registration before allowing listings
The 180-night limit means STR hosting in Japan is by definition a part-time activity. Hosts seeking year-round rental income must obtain a hotel or ryokan license, which involves significantly more stringent requirements.
Netherlands
The Netherlands has moved toward increasingly restrictive STR regulation, particularly in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam has progressively tightened its rules:
- 30-night annual limit: Hosts may rent their primary residence for a maximum of 30 nights per year (reduced from 60 nights in 2019)
- Maximum 4 guests per rental at any time
- Registration required: Hosts must register with the municipality and hold a valid permit
- Tourist tax: Currently 7% of the rental price plus a fixed amount per person per night
- Enforcement: Amsterdam employs dedicated enforcement teams and has imposed fines exceeding 20,000 euros per violation
- Certain neighborhoods banned: Some areas are completely off-limits for STR activity
The 30-night limit makes Amsterdam one of the most restrictive major cities in the world for short-term rentals. Many former STR hosts have transitioned to mid-term rentals (30+ nights) to operate within the law.
Portugal
Portugal requires an Alojamento Local (AL) license for all short-term rental properties:
- AL license registration: Mandatory for all properties rented for periods shorter than 30 days
- Registration with local authority: The license application goes through the local câmara municipal (city council)
- Safety inspections: Properties must meet fire safety, gas safety, and general habitability standards
- Tax obligations: STR income is taxable, with various regime options depending on annual revenue
- New license restrictions: Since 2023, new AL licenses have been suspended in many areas of Lisbon and Porto, with existing licenses subject to review
- Condominium rules: In apartment buildings, the condominium assembly can vote to prohibit or restrict STR activity with a majority vote
Portugal’s regulatory environment has shifted significantly in recent years. The government’s housing policy priorities have led to restrictions on new STR licenses in high-demand urban areas, with a stated goal of returning housing stock to the long-term rental market.
Australia
Australia’s STR regulation is set at the state and territory level.
New South Wales (Sydney)
- 180-night annual cap for non-hosted stays (host not present) in Greater Sydney
- 365 nights allowed for hosted stays (host present on the property)
- Registration required through the NSW Government’s short-term rental accommodation register
- Fire safety requirements including smoke alarms and evacuation plans
- Strata bylaws: Individual strata (homeowner association) buildings can pass bylaws restricting or banning short-term rentals with a 75% vote
Other States
- Victoria (Melbourne): Registration requirements with a focus on fire safety and building compliance
- Queensland: Planning regulations vary by local council, with some areas requiring development approval for STR operations
- Tasmania: Land use planning approvals required in many municipalities
Key Compliance Strategies for International Hosts
Regardless of where your property is located, these strategies help ensure compliance:
- Research before you list. Contact your local municipality or hire a local attorney to confirm current rules before creating a listing.
- Register everything. If your jurisdiction requires registration, complete it before accepting your first booking. Operating without registration is the most common violation and the easiest for enforcement agencies to detect.
- Display registration numbers. Always include your registration or license number on every listing across every platform. Platforms are increasingly required to verify these numbers.
- Track your nights. If your jurisdiction has a night limit, maintain accurate records. Use a spreadsheet or property management software to track cumulative nights throughout the year.
- Collect and remit taxes. While major platforms collect tourist taxes automatically in many jurisdictions, verify that all applicable taxes are being handled. In some locations, hosts are responsible for taxes that platforms do not collect.
- Stay current. Regulations change frequently. Set a calendar reminder to review local rules at least twice per year. Subscribe to your municipality’s planning or housing newsletter if one exists.
- Join a local host association. Organizations like the Short-Term Accommodation Association (STAA) in the UK or local host groups provide regulatory updates and advocacy on behalf of hosts.
The regulatory landscape is complex and evolving, but compliance is non-negotiable. The financial and legal risks of operating outside the rules far outweigh the cost of doing things properly from the start.
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