EU short-term letting from 20 May 2026: registration numbers and platform data

Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 has applied since 20 May 2026 to the collection and exchange of data for short-term rental accommodation. Anyone offering a furnished unit through a platform must therefore separate two questions: does the unit require a registration number, and which data will the platform later send to a competent authority?

The regulation does not grant a general right to let accommodation to tourists. Zoning, building law, trade law, condominium law, tenancy law and local taxes remain relevant. The new rules mainly organise registration, the presentation of listings and the exchange of activity data.

This article sets out a practical review sequence for hosts and operators. If the first question is whether the letting model is allowed at the location, see the overview of holiday homes and letting. The glossary entry on short-term letting explains the basic term.

Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 applies directly in every Member State from 20 May 2026. It governs the collection of data by competent authorities and online platforms and the exchange of that data through a digital access point. It covers platforms and hosts whose units are located in the European Union, regardless of where the platform is established.

Short-term rental accommodation may be offered regularly or temporarily. It may be organised on a commercial or non-commercial basis. The assessment therefore does not depend only on whether a company is involved or whether the stay lasts only a few nights. National law remains important, while the regulation provides the framework for registration and data reporting.

The regulation expressly leaves national, regional and local rules untouched. This includes urban development, land use, zoning, building standards, housing and tenancy law, taxes and other charges. A registration number therefore does not by itself prove that every planned letting is lawful.

The regulation distinguishes between a unit, a host and an online platform. A unit is furnished accommodation in the European Union that is offered for short-term rental. Hotels, inns, guesthouses, hostels, motels and accommodation on campsites are excluded from this definition. Classic hotel operations therefore require a separate review of their obligations.

A host may be an individual or a legal entity. The letting may be regular or temporary. A platform is covered if it allows guests to enter into distance contracts with hosts for short-term accommodation services. This can also matter for a platform established outside Austria when the offered unit is located in the Union.

For the first review, do not begin with the name of the portal. Describe the accommodation, the booking process, the services offered and the person or company appearing towards the guest. The accommodation and guest admission area provides further context on business organisation and guest contracts.

Where a Member State or region has a registration procedure, that procedure must comply with the regulation. Registration should be available online and, as far as possible, free of charge or subject to reasonable and proportionate costs. Once the required information and evidence have been submitted, the registration number should be issued automatically and without delay.

Under Article 5, the declaration for each unit includes the exact address, the type of unit, whether it is used as a main or secondary residence, the maximum number of sleeping places and guests, and, where relevant, information about a permit requirement. For individuals, the declaration also includes name, identification information, address, telephone number and email. For legal entities, it includes the company name, commercial register number, legal representative and contact details.

Member States may request suitable evidence. Material changes must be updated. Hosts are responsible for the accuracy of the information they provide. Create a digital file containing decisions, address and unit data, permits, host details and the version that was submitted to the authority.

A unit should not be subject to more than one registration procedure. The registration number is an individual identifier for the unit and must not contain personal data. It is placed in a public and easily accessible register, which supports later checks by platforms and authorities.

If an area is subject to a registration procedure, platforms must organise their interfaces accordingly. Hosts must be able to state whether the unit is in such an area. If it is, the platform must allow the unit to be identified by a registration number and require that number before allowing the service to be offered.

The registration number must be displayed clearly as part of the listing. Platforms must also make reasonable efforts to carry out regular sample checks of the number. They may use the technical functions of the single digital entry point and the published lists of areas.

For hosts this means that the number should not exist only in an internal message to the platform. It must be linked to the correct listing and the correct unit. Save the listing URL and the access date. If several platforms are used, keep a separate list so that an old, incorrect or unrelated number is not displayed.

If incomplete or incorrect information is found, the competent authority may request a correction. If the correction is not made, the number may be suspended. In certain circumstances the authority may also order the platform to remove the listing or block access to it.

The reporting obligation under Article 9 generally concerns the platform, not the host personally. If a listing concerns a unit in an area included in the relevant list, the platform collects activity data for each unit. This includes the number of nights, the number of guests per night and the country of residence of each guest in line with European tourism statistics.

Together with the activity data, the platform sends the registration number, the exact address of the unit and the listing URL to the single digital entry point of the Member State where the unit is located. For larger platforms this is a monthly machine-to-machine transmission. The platform must ensure that the datasets are complete and accurate.

A different frequency applies to small or very small platforms that did not reach a monthly Union average of at least 4,250 listings in the previous quarter. They report at the end of the quarter, either technically or manually in accordance with national law. The platform should be able to document its classification and reporting process.

The data flow is purpose-limited. Competent authorities may use the information to monitor registration procedures and to enforce rules on access to and provision of the services in compliance with Union law. Activity data must be stored securely only for as long as necessary for those purposes, and not for more than 18 months after receipt.

The EU rules do not answer whether the unit may be used for tourist letting at its location. In Salzburg, zoning, second-home restrictions and a possible permit for using an existing dwelling for tourist accommodation can be decisive. Other provinces have different rules. Platform acceptance is not a substitute for checking the local legal position.

The classification under trade law remains separate. If services are organised in addition to handing over rooms, the distinction from a hospitality business may matter. In a condominium, the designated use, the building and the interests of other owners must be considered. In a rented unit, the tenancy agreement, subletting rules and consent requirements may be relevant.

Local accommodation taxes and other charges also follow their own rules. The overview of tourism levies and local accommodation tax explains why registration, guest records and tax returns should not be treated as one process. Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 expressly leaves tax and charge rules untouched.

Start with a unit register. For each apartment or house, record the address, owner or operator, letting model, platforms used, registration number, listing URL and date of the latest review. This makes it easier to detect a number assigned to the wrong unit or a listing that has not been updated.

Then separate the legal levels: location and zoning, permits, ownership or tenancy, trade law, taxes and only then platform registration. A common mistake is to treat registration as confirmation that short-term letting is lawful. It is not. Another is to confuse platform reporting with a monthly return that the host must personally file under Article 9.

Old screenshots, unclear changes of operator and different addresses in the permit, listing and platform account create further risks. Check whether the accommodation is a furnished unit within the meaning of the regulation or a classic hospitality business. If use, capacity or permits change, update the registration data where required.

A short change and document routine is useful. Save the original registration, later changes, platform confirmations, listing URLs and messages from authorities. This does not answer every legal question, but it makes the organisation traceable and supports a faster review.

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