How to stand out in short-term rentals as regulation tightens

For hosts in Romania, 2026 has brought more rules than any recent year: a new classification procedure under Order No. 948/2026, with a cap of 7 rooms for individuals, checks on buildings with seismic risk and the accommodation occupancy form, completed for every room. At the same time, the number of accommodation units is growing faster than the number of tourists. Many owners see all this as nothing more than costs and paperwork. For those who take it seriously, the rules can become a selling point: in a market where guests cannot check for themselves who follows them, the host who clearly shows that they do earns trust. This guide shows you how to turn compliance, consistency and reviews into differentiation, and which guest segments are worth testing in 2026.

In brief

Supply is growing, demand is not: in April 2026 there were 30,367 classified accommodation units, 14.48% more than a year earlier, while tourist arrivals fell by 1.6% in the first seven months of the year.
Compliance can be shown: a displayed classification certificate, guest information in Romanian and at least one foreign language, and an accurate listing are signals that guests can see.
Consistency matters more than promises: Airbnb automatically summarises the reviews of every listing, and since January 2025 Booking.com has given more weight to recent reviews.
Only differentiate yourself with what you can prove: Law No. 363/2007 punishes misleading commercial practices with fines of 20,000–100,000 lei.
Choose one or two guest segments and adapt your home for them, instead of trying to please everyone.

Why differentiation matters more in 2026

This year’s data describes a more crowded market. According to BIBI Touring data cited by Forbes Romania, there were 30,367 classified accommodation units in April 2026, compared with 26,533 a year earlier, an increase of 14.48%. On the coast, the number of classified units has risen by almost 10% this year, to almost 5,400, according to Radio Romania International. Demand has not kept pace: in January–July 2026, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) recorded 7.487 million arrivals, 1.6% fewer than in the same period of 2025, and 15.543 million overnight stays, 3.1% fewer, while the net occupancy rate of accommodation capacity was 26%.

At the launch of the 2026 White Paper on Romanian Tourism, on 14 September, it was pointed out that in counties such as Maramureș, Alba, Cluj, Gorj and Ilfov accommodation capacity has grown by 20%, 30% or even 60%, but that more rooms do not automatically mean more tourists. When supply grows faster than demand, hosts who do not give guests a clear reason to choose them end up competing on price alone, and a discount can be copied by the neighbour the very next day.

30,367classified accommodation units in April 2026 (BIBI Touring)

−1.6%arrivals in January–July 2026, compared with the same period of 2025 (INS)

26%net occupancy rate of accommodation capacity in January–July 2026 (INS)

7 roomsclassification cap for individuals, regardless of how many homes they own

Compliance, a signal guests can see

A guest has no way of checking for themselves whether your home is classified or whether you declare your income. They do, however, see the signals you show them. Airbnb asks hosts in Romania to register their listings for classification under Order No. 948/2026, effective 8 July 2026, and to display the certificate. The order itself contains several requirements that, when presented well, become selling points:

The displayed certificate. The order requires a copy of the classification certificate and its annex to be displayed, together with the ministry’s inspection phone number, at reception or, if there is no reception, in the hallway. State in your listing that the home is classified and in which category, exactly as on the certificate.
Guest information in several languages. At 1–2 stars, information materials must be in Romanian and at least one widely spoken international language, and at 3–5 stars in at least two; digital formats, including QR codes, are accepted. A digital guide with house rules, check-in instructions and local recommendations is both a requirement and an extra comfort for foreign guests.
White bed linen and towels, changed at every departure. This is a requirement of the order, but also a detail guests appreciate. Say so in your listing.
A web page, from 3 stars upwards. For the 3–5 star categories, the order requires an e-mail address and a personalised web page showing your identification details, address and classification certificate number. Since you need one anyway, you can turn it into a direct booking channel; see our guide to having your own website.

All of this starts with a classification done properly. The steps, deadlines and 7-room cap are explained in our guide to Order 948/2026. And if your home is in a building rated seismic risk class I, differentiation no longer matters, because the law prohibits renting out spaces in such buildings; the details are in our guide to seismic risk and Airbnb.

Only differentiate yourself with what you can prove. Law No. 363/2007 on unfair commercial practices prohibits, among other things, claiming that a trader or a service has been approved, endorsed or authorised by a public or private body when this is not true. Misleading commercial practices are punishable by fines of 20,000 to 100,000 lei. Do not put a higher category in your listing than the one on your certificate, do not use phrases such as “approved by the ministry” unless you hold a specific authorisation, and do not display awards or distinctions you have not received.

Consistency: the promise that is tested at every stay

A good listing brings the first booking. What guests find on arrival decides the review, and reviews decide the bookings that follow. In 2026, the platforms have shortened this path. With its summer release of 20 May 2026, Airbnb automatically summarises the reviews of every listing and highlights what matters most to guests, from location and amenities to how suitable the home is for families. Since January 2025, Booking.com has calculated its score so that recent reviews carry more weight. A problem that repeats from one stay to the next therefore quickly makes its way into the information future guests read first.

Consistency also has a direct financial stake. Under Airbnb’s Rebooking and Refund Policy, if an amenity promised in the listing is missing or does not work, such as the pool, air conditioning or heating, the guest can report the problem within 72 hours of discovering it and may receive a refund, and your payout is reduced by the amount refunded. Airbnb also recommends clear, candid descriptions: overselling can lead to disappointment and negative reviews.

What you promise in the listing	What has to happen at every stay
“Ideal for working”	Internet tested after every check-out, a comfortable desk and chair, a socket next to the desk
“Self check-in, at any time”	Codes tested before every arrival and step-by-step instructions with photos
“Spotless cleaning”	The same checklist at every clean, with photos at the end
“Air conditioning in every room”	Filters cleaned regularly and units test-run before every arrival
“Quiet area”	An honest description of the noise, including the street or nearby bars and restaurants

Photos and the description are where you set these promises in place. To make them accurate and persuasive, read our guide to listing photos and descriptions.

Reviews, the proof you cannot buy

Reviews are the quality signal guests regard as independent of the host. To become a Superhost you need an overall rating of at least 4.8, and the Guest Favorites collection brings together homes with an average above 4.9 and high marks in all six categories. The law prohibits fake reviews and publishing only positive ones, and Airbnb does not allow reviews given in exchange for an incentive, so the only way forward is for guests to write, on their own initiative, about what sets you apart.

Check whether your reviews confirm the positioning you have chosen. If you promise a home suited to working but nobody mentions the desk or the internet, either the message is not reaching the right guests or the difference is not clear enough. If several guests praise the same thing, for example the quiet or how quickly you reply, move that detail into your title and the first lines of your description. How to respond to reviews and protect your reputation is explained in our guide to reviews.

Guest segments worth testing in 2026

Differentiation becomes easier when you know who you are furnishing your home for. Public data points to several segments you can test, each with different needs:

Segment	What the data shows	What you adapt
Business travellers	In the first quarter of 2026, 51.8% of non-resident tourists in collective accommodation came on business (INS). In homes and rooms for rent, however, 88.2% came for personal reasons, so the segment is still poorly served by apartments.	A comfortable desk and chair, fast internet, flexible check-in and, if you issue invoices, clear invoicing information
Long stays and remote work	Globally, nearly one in five nights booked on Airbnb is part of a stay of 28 nights or more (21% in 2022 and 18% in the first quarter of 2023, internal Airbnb data)	Weekly and monthly discounts, a washing machine, a fully equipped kitchen, storage space
Families during school holidays	The winter holiday runs from 23 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, and the ski week is set county by county in February–March 2027	A cot and high chair, socket covers, extra beds
Foreign guests	In January–July 2026, most foreign tourists came from Germany (145,800), Italy (123,400) and the US (101,300) (INS)	Information and messages in English, quick replies, local recommendations
Guests seeking rest	For 56% of the travellers surveyed by Hilton, rest and recharging are the main motivation for their holidays in 2026	Blackout curtains, a good mattress, soundproofing and an honest description of the noise

Do not try to serve them all. Choose one or two segments that suit your home and its area: a studio near the offices of Cluj-Napoca has different strengths from a three-room apartment in the mountains. For each segment there is a dedicated guide: off-season and long-stay offers, the pricing calendar for holidays and festive periods and the source markets of foreign tourists.

Watch out for stays longer than 30 days. According to the occupancy form approved by ANAF Order No. 381/2026, short-term rental means accommodating the same person for no more than 30 consecutive days in a calendar year. Beyond that, a different tax regime applies, so talk to your accountant before you promote stays of more than a month.

How to communicate what sets you apart

Once you have chosen your segment, say the same thing everywhere: in the title, the first photo, the description, the guest guide and your messages.

The title. Airbnb gives the example “Quiet studio near Uffizi”: a few words that say what is unique, not just “nice apartment”. A title such as “Quiet studio with a desk near Piața Unirii” speaks directly to guests who work.
The first photo. On Airbnb, the first photo is the large one shown in search results, and Booking.com says 63% of travellers rely on images when choosing a property. If you are targeting people who work, show the desk; if you are selling quiet, a bright and tidy bedroom.
Facilities in the extranet. On Booking.com, the facilities you tick generate the property description, automatically translated into all the platform’s languages, and travellers filter results by them. An unticked facility is a facility guests will not find.
Your profile. Guests choose a host, not just a home. How to build a credible profile and personal brand is covered in our guide to personal branding.
Your messages. A welcome message that repeats what you promised, for example the Wi-Fi password and where the desk is for those who work, or the cot already set up for families, confirms the difference within the first hour.

Identical information across all channels also matters for the AI assistants that are starting to search for and compare accommodation on guests’ behalf. What you can do for them is covered in our guide to agentic search.

Common mistakes

Competing on price alone. A discount can be copied by the neighbour the next day; a clear reason for guests to choose you cannot.
Promising what you cannot deliver at every stay. Automatic review summaries and the extra weight given to recent reviews make a recurring problem visible quickly.
Using labels you cannot prove. A higher category than the one on your certificate or a non-existent “authorisation” is a misleading commercial practice.
Trying to please everyone. A listing aimed at everyone convinces no one in particular.
Hiding the drawbacks. Unmentioned stairs, noise or lack of parking end up in reviews, under accuracy.
Not updating the listing after reviews. If several guests flag the same problem, fix it and change the listing.

Frequently asked questions

Does it matter to guests whether my home is classified?

There is no public data yet on how much classification weighs in Romanian guests’ decisions. It does matter to platforms and authorities: Airbnb asks hosts in Romania to register their listings under Order No. 948/2026 and to display the certificate, and operating an unclassified property is punishable by a fine of 40,000–50,000 lei under Government Decision No. 1267/2010. The displayed certificate and the mention in your listing are also signals guests can see.

Can I write in my listing that my home is “authorised” or “certified”?

Only write what you can prove. If you have a classification certificate, you can say that the home is classified and in which category, exactly as on the certificate. Phrases that suggest an approval you do not have, a higher category or non-existent distinctions can be misleading commercial practices, punishable by fines of 20,000–100,000 lei.

Which guest segment earns the most?

It depends on the home, the area and the time you have. Test a single segment for a season and track occupancy, the average rate and what guests write in their reviews. How to use data to target your campaigns is explained in our guide to data-driven marketing campaigns.

How often should I update my listing?

Whenever something changes in the home, when several guests mention the same thing in reviews and, for photos, at least once a year. On Airbnb, review-based suggestions can show you, for example, that your kitchen photos no longer match reality.