New EU Regulations for Short-Term Rentals: What Romanian Property Owners Need to Know in 2026

A Banner That Signals Change

On a cold November evening in Cluj's Mănăștur neighborhood, a property owner opens their Airbnb app to check Christmas bookings. Instead of the usual green calendar, a new message greets them: "Important updates regarding European regulations for short-term rentals."

It's not just an ordinary notification. It's the signal of a fundamental shift in how the short-term rental market operates in Romania.

What the European Advisory Board on Housing Proposes

On November 22, 2025, the European press reported the recommendations of the Advisory Council on Housing (ACCH) to the European Commission. Member states are encouraged to actively limit the impact of short-term rentals on the housing market through concrete measures:

• Unique registration number for each STR unit
• Obligation for platforms (Airbnb, Booking) to publicly display this number
• Periodic data exchange between platforms and member states
• Possibility for cities to impose night limits, restricted zones, or additional taxes

Romania: A Market Still in the Gray Zone

In Romania, only a portion of apartments in short-term rental are classified and authorized as accommodation units. The rest operate in a zone of tolerance: they pay taxes, but don't always follow tourism rules or complete reporting requirements.

According to industry estimates, approximately 70% of listings on Booking and Airbnb are not classified for tourism, although they bring significant income to owners. In parallel, ANAF has identified over 5,000 individuals with considerable income from platforms and has begun targeted inspections, using data received directly from these platforms.

With the new European framework, this gray zone will shrink. Not immediately, but inevitably.

The Real Stakes: Operation Size Matters

For an owner with 1-2 apartments, the immediate impact may mean:

• An extra bureaucratic step (registration number, possibly classification)
• Clearer reporting to ANAF
• Inability to "forget" to declare income

For large operators – agencies managing tens or hundreds of apartments – the situation becomes different. The Minister of Tourism has explicitly stated that he doesn't want to "hunt" those who occasionally rent out their home, but he won't ignore operators managing portfolios "the size of a hotel."

Europe is preparing the ground so that these structures can no longer hide behind the status of a natural person. They will need to enter the same regime of authorization, taxation, and control as hotels.

What This Means for Romanian Property Owners in 2026

• Forced transparency – data about the number of nights, rates, and properties per host will reach ANAF and municipalities
• Possible local limits – cities with high pressure on rents could introduce night caps or restricted zones
• Special taxes – examples from Constanța and Tulcea show how future destination taxes could look

Navigating a Maturing Market

In a market where rules become more complex, platforms connecting property owners with professional managers and service companies become not just matchmaking places, but also compliance filters.

Serious managers will compete not just on occupancy, but on how well they keep the owner in legal standing. Owners who don't have time to follow every legislative change will look for managers already aligned with the new norms.

In the next two years, the key question will no longer be "how much do I earn from an apartment in short-term rental?" but "how much do I earn net after taxes, permits, and potential local limits – and with what risk?"

When Brussels enters your booking calendar, the game is no longer played just in Excel; it's played in the tourist registry, in ANAF reports, and in local council decisions.