Europe has taken an important step in controlling and ensuring transparency in short-term rentals. As of May 20, 2026, Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 will be in effect, establishing a common framework for the collection and exchange of data between hosts, digital platforms, and public administrations.
The regulation directly affects the ecosystem of platforms like Airbnb, Booking, and other digital intermediaries, but it is important to understand its scope: Europe has not created a single tourist license nor replaced national, regional, or municipal regulations. What it is primarily harmonizing is transparency, registration, and information exchange.
Quick Read GataviaAs of May 20, 2026, the European Regulation 2024/1028 establishes new transparency rules for tourist and short-term rentals marketed through platforms.
Wherever there is a registration system subject to the Regulation, hosts will receive a unique registration number, platforms must display it and perform certain checks, and administrations will have access to more data about the activity.
The regulation does not replace local regulations. A property will still need to comply with the relevant national, regional, municipal, urban, tax, and sectoral rules.
Official source: European Commission
A Market Too Large to Remain Invisible
Short-term rentals have become a structural part of European tourism. According to the European Commission, guests spent 951.6 million nights in short-term accommodations booked through digital platforms in 2025.
A year earlier, Eurostat recorded 854.1 million overnight stays in 2024 through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia Group, and Tripadvisor, an increase of 18.8% compared to 2023.
We are, therefore, dealing with a huge, international, and highly digitized economic activity. For regulators, one of the main issues was having homogeneous information about who is renting, where the accommodation is located, and what the actual scale of the activity is.
951.6 million nights in short-term accommodations booked through platforms in the European Union during 2025, according to the European Commission.What Exactly is Regulation (EU) 2024/1028
The European Regulation establishes a common framework for the collection and exchange of data related to short-term accommodation rental services.
Its goal is not to determine whether a city can limit tourist apartments, how many days a property can be rented, or what tax a property owner must pay. Those issues continue to depend on the rules applicable to each territory.
What the European Union seeks is that when administrations use registration systems and request information from platforms, there is a much more homogeneous, interoperable, and controllable system.
1. The Registration Number Becomes a Central Piece
When a member state uses the regime provided in the Regulation and establishes registration procedures, these must be able to be carried out online and be accessible.
The host receives a unique registration number for the unit. This identifier becomes the connection between the accommodation, the advertiser, the platform, and the competent administration.
2. Airbnb, Booking, and Other Platforms Will Have More Responsibility
One of the most relevant changes is that control will no longer rest solely on the owner or manager.
The European Commission explains that online platforms must display and verify registration numbers when the system applies and conduct random checks aimed at helping identify listings that do not comply with the rules.
Additionally, public authorities may request the removal of certain listings that do not meet the corresponding requirements.
3. Administrations Will Receive Periodic Data on Activity
The Regulation also changes the capacity of administrations to know what is really happening in the market.
Platforms must provide certain data on stays and nights booked through a single digital entry point established by each member state using the system.
In general, the Commission indicates that the exchange will occur monthly, while there are simplified obligations for certain small platforms and microenterprises.
4. The Big Change May Not Be Registration, But Traceability
Many European destinations already required tourist registrations before 2026. Therefore, it would be a mistake to interpret the Regulation solely as a new obligation to obtain a number.
Its true scope lies in connecting registration, listing, platform, activity, and administration more effectively.
This greater traceability can facilitate authorities in comparing information, identifying inconsistencies, and designing public policies based on much more precise data.
What the New European Regulation Does NOT Do
This point is crucial because much of the confusion surrounding the new regulation comes from attributing effects to it that it does not have.
✓ It does not create a single European tourist license. ✓ It does not eliminate national, regional, or municipal regulations. ✓ It does not establish a maximum number of rental days for all of Europe. ✓ It does not create a common European tax for Airbnb or short-term rentals. ✓ It does not automatically legalize an accommodation just for having a registration number.An Essential Nuance: Europe Does Not Require All States to Create the Same Registration System
The European Commission itself describes the Regulation as an opt-in/opt-out system.
This means that member states are not required by this Regulation to necessarily implement a short-term rental registration system.
However, when they establish such a registration system or request certain data from platforms, they must do so within the harmonized framework provided by the European Regulation.
What It Means for a Short-Term Rental Owner
For an owner, the practical conclusion is simple: the distance between the administrative situation of the property and what is published on a platform will become increasingly smaller.
✓ Check if the property needs registration, license, declaration, authorization, or communication in its territory. ✓ Verify that the number published on the platforms matches the valid registration of the accommodation. ✓ Keep the administrative data associated with the property up to date. ✓ Do not assume that being listed on Airbnb or Booking alone proves that the activity is legal.What Changes for Professional Managers
For a manager with multiple properties, the change is even more significant. The larger the portfolio, the greater the need to systematically control the administrative information of each unit.
It is no longer enough to know that a property was registered at some point. It is necessary to know which number corresponds to which property, what its current situation is, which platform is marketing it, what documentation supports the activity, and what obligations need to be renewed or updated.
The professionalization of the sector increasingly involves having a compliance and documentation system capable of relating properties, registrations, bookings, taxation, and documentation.
Can This Regulation Reduce Illegal Listings?
This is one of the objectives pursued by the new system. The European Commission believes that greater transparency, verification of registration numbers, and better availability of data can help administrations identify listings that do not comply with applicable rules.
However, the European Regulation does not resolve the legality of each accommodation on its own. That legality will continue to depend on the access rules established in each territory.
Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, or Germany Will Continue to Have Different Rules
The existence of a common European data framework does not mean that national differences will disappear.
Spain maintains strong regional and municipal intervention. France combines national rules with relevant local obligations. Italy has national and regional particularities. Portugal has its specific framework for Local Accommodation. Germany also presents particularly important regulations and restrictions at the local level.
The practical consequence is that the international professional will need to work on two levels simultaneously: the European transparency framework and the specific legal framework of the country and territory where each accommodation is located.
The Gatavia ReadingShort-Term Rentals Enter the Era of Regulatory Traceability
For years, one of the characteristics of short-term rentals was fragmentation: the administration had one piece of information, the platform another, the owner another, and the manager another.
The European Regulation points towards a different stage. The value will no longer solely be in having a well-positioned listing. It will also be necessary to demonstrate that behind that listing there is a properly identified, documented, and managed property within the corresponding framework.
What Any European Owner or Manager Should Review Now
✓ The current regulations in the country, region, and municipality where each accommodation is located. ✓ The existence and validity of registrations, licenses, authorizations, or communications. ✓ The consistency between administrative data and what is published on each platform. ✓ The tax, documentary, and information obligations specific to the territory. ✓ The existence of an internal system to control renewals, documentation, registrations, and regulatory changes.Official Sources Consulted
Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 of the European Parliament and Council, regarding the collection and exchange of data on short-term accommodation rental services. Consult on EUR-Lex
European Commission, May 20, 2026: implementation of new transparency rules for short-term rentals. Consult official source
Eurostat: statistics on short-term accommodations booked through online platforms. Consult official data
Note: this article is for informational purposes and does not replace legal, tax, or administrative advice applicable to a specific situation. The regulation of tourist accommodation may vary according to the country, region, municipality, and characteristics of the property.