The short-term rental market in Romania and across the European Union is entering a phase of strict regulation, driven by the implementation of European Regulation 2024/1028, the European Commission’s upcoming Affordable Housing Act, and national legislation on seismic safety. Authorities in Bucharest are preparing control and single registration mechanisms, while major platforms such as Airbnb have already started removing listings for properties located in buildings with high seismic risk.
The Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism (MEDAT) is working alongside employers’ organizations and industry associations to align national legislation with European Regulation 2024/1028. According to MEDAT representative Alin Grigore, quoted by Agerpres, the regulatory framework aims to combat unfair competition faced by the hotel industry and mitigate risks for travelers. The regulation requires a unique registration number for all accommodation units, a single digital entry point for information exchange, and obliges platforms to provide authorities with aggregate data regarding tourist flows and lengths of stay. To operate legally, all units must obtain tourist classification. Concurrently, the ministry is developing a digital guest registration form coordinated with national security bodies and is evaluating the establishment of a national Destination Management Organization (DMO) to complement the nearly 50 existing local and county DMOs, as well as the regional one.
At the EU level, POLITICO reports that Brussels is drafting the Affordable Housing Act, a mechanism that will provide local governments with legal backing to cap the operations of tourist platforms in high-pressure housing areas. While short-term rentals officially account for 1.2% of the European Union’s housing stock, their share reaches 20% in established tourist destinations. According to AirDNA data for 2025, Paris recorded roughly 60,000 active listings, while such listings accounted for 40% of housing in central Porto and up to 56% of the long-term rental market in certain Madrid neighborhoods. Restriction or phase-out models are already being enforced in Barcelona (aiming to eliminate 10,000 units by 2028), Amsterdam, Florence, and Paris.
In Romania, according to the Tourism and Property Rental Association (ATIP), Airbnb has initiated compliance checks for units in buildings classified as Seismic Risk Class I (RsI), following Law 212/2022, as amended by Law 426/2023, which explicitly banned their rental under penalties of up to EUR 1.89 thousand. Notified property owners are given a 14-day window to provide supporting documentation (land registry extracts, technical assessments, retrofitting certificates), failing which listings are delisted. Holding a tourist classification certificate does not override the ban if the building is categorized as RsI. This measure primarily impacts Bucharest, where the platform lists between 5,000 and 6,000 active units, many located in historic buildings across neighborhoods such as Cișmigiu, Centrul Civic, and the Old Town, an issue previously highlighted by The Guardian.
These regulatory updates also directly affect individuals renting out properties using their personal identification numbers (CNP). Data from the National Institute of Statistics for 2025 reveals that rental apartments and rooms provided 14.4 million bed-days (14.4% of Romania’s total capacity of 99.7 million bed-days), establishing themselves as the second-largest sector in hospitality after hotels (51.2%) and surpassing agritourism guesthouses (13.7%). Market analyses reviewed by Profit.ro show approximately 74,000 short-term rental units in Romania (+7.8% year-on-year, representing the third-fastest growth in Europe behind Poland at +8.9% and the Czech Republic at +8%), even though only slightly over 18,000 properties are officially declared to the tax agency (ANAF). Across Europe, short-term rental supply reached 5.4 million units (+3%), with contractions recorded only in Spain (-12.5%, down to 475,000 units) and Turkey (-36.7%, following Law 7464 regarding mandatory licensing).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does EU Regulation 2024/1028 entail for short-term rentals?
The regulation introduces a unique registration number for all short-term accommodation units, a single digital data exchange gateway, and requires listing platforms to share aggregated visitor and stay-duration data with public authorities.
What happens to Airbnb listings located in earthquake-prone buildings in Romania?
Under Romanian Law 212/2022, renting units in Seismic Risk Class I (RsI) buildings is prohibited, leading Airbnb to delist non-compliant properties whose owners do not provide verifying documentation within 14 days.
Why are European cities placing caps on short-term rentals?
Local authorities are using new regulatory tools to relieve housing market pressures, as short-term rentals occupy up to 20% to 40% of residential housing in prime urban destinations such as Paris, Porto, and Madrid.