On June 12, representatives of Europe’s most tourist-frequented cities – Amsterdam, Paris, and Vienna – gathered at the Krzysztofory Palace in Kraków to discuss short-term rentals. The meeting also welcomed delegates from various Polish cities that are keen on regulating this phenomenon. The event served as a platform for exchanging experiences and best practices aimed at achieving a balance between the tourism industry and the needs of local communities.
In 2024, the European Parliament adopted a regulation “on the collection and sharing of data on short-term rental services for residential accommodations”, which obliges the Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism to develop national regulations in this area. This is especially important for Kraków and other tourist-heavy cities in Poland.
The international seminar titled “Short-Term Rentals in Tourist Cities – Balancing Tourism and Local Communities”, organized by the Municipality of Kraków, created a space for sharing insights and reflections among representatives of Europe’s most visited cities, united under the Alliance of European Cities – including Amsterdam, Paris, and Vienna – as well as representatives from many Polish cities.
The event featured two thematic panels with participation from:
The new regulations will facilitate the identification of hosts operating in the short-term rental sector. Among the changes is the introduction of a unique registration number, which must be included in rental listings as part of the registration requirements. Online platforms will be required not only to display these registration numbers with listings but also to conduct random checks to verify whether hosts are properly registered and displaying correct numbers. Local authorities will be granted the power to “suspend” registration numbers and request that platforms remove listings that do not comply with legal requirements. Additionally, platforms will be obliged to share data with local governments about property hosts – including, for example, the number of nights rented and the number of guests.
