On 20 May 2026, Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services started to apply.
What is the purpose?
The EU rules aim to increase transparency and ensure that authorities have reliable information about listings and activity in short-term rentals offered through online platforms.
What is the role of platforms?
The Regulation creates obligations for the collection and transmission of certain activity data to competent authorities, within the system established by each Member State.
Does it directly affect owners?
The framework primarily regulates platforms and their data-sharing relationship with authorities. In practice, however, owners can be affected when authorities use that information to verify the legality of a listing or activity.
Important: the EU Regulation does not create a single Europe-wide tourism licence. The conditions for operating still depend largely on national, regional and local law.
Transparency is not legalisation
A listing appearing on a platform does not prove that the property is legally entitled to operate. Likewise, data sharing by a platform does not replace licences or authorisations required by competent authorities.
Practical advice for owners
- Keep the property's documentation up to date.
- Ensure that published information matches reality.
- Regularly review regional and municipal requirements.
Sources
This article is based on the following public and official sources: