According to Airbnb data, a typical Polish host earned just over PLN 8,300 last year, and the total revenue of all hosts exceeded PLN 729 million. About 73 percent of them rent only one premises. The survey shows that 57 percent hosts maintain their home thanks to income from the platform, and 48 percent uses these funds to cover rising living costs.
Airbnb's activities also generated over PLN 710 million in tax revenues and PLN 1 billion in labor income. More than a third of the supported jobs were in the hotel and catering industry, which traditionally employs people earning below the median wage.
Tourism outside big cities
The platform emphasizes its contribution to the even distribution of tourist traffic. According to the study, 36 percent guests admitted that they would not have visited a given area if it had not been for accommodation on Airbnb. In 2024, almost 60 percent nights spent by guests stayed outside cities, and the number of reservations made by families in rural areas has increased by over 200% since 2019.
— I fully agree with Airbnb's macroeconomic analysis regarding the impact of short-term rentals on the Polish economy, jobs and state budget revenues, says Adrian Barwicki, CEO of RENTUJEMY. — However, the Airbnb report was prepared with the obvious motivation to maintain the short-term rental market in Poland in its current, unregulated form – precisely at a time when There are more calls for its regulation, which would naturally reduce the number of offers on the market – emphasizes the expert.
Minimal impact on the housing market?
Airbnb argues that its impact on the Polish housing market is negligible. Whole house deals booked for at least 90 nights a year account for just 0.05%. all residential premises in the country. Even in the largest cities, this rate remains low: 0.46 percent. in Kraków, 0.25 percent in Warsaw and 0.27 percent in Gdańsk.
The platform also cites examples from other European cities where strict restrictions did not improve the housing situation. In Amsterdam, despite a 54% drop in the number of offers. between 2019 and 2024, long-term rents increased by 34%. In Barcelona, where the number of offers decreased by 24%, rent increased by as much as 37%.
Local concentrations and the need for regulation
However, experts point out that nationwide statistics do not reflect the full picture of the situation.
— The report ignores the real effects of the concentration of short-term offers in key city districts – emphasizes Barwicki. — Declared impact at the level of 0.05%. does not take into account local asymmetries – in the centers of large cities the share of such offers may be many times higher. Additionally, this indicator refers to the entire housing stock, and not to the actual rental market, which actually determines the level of rents.
— As a real estate investor, I know that when short-term rentals provide a higher return, the value that investors are willing to pay for such apartments naturally increases as well – he adds. – This is why clear and proportionate rules are needed for sustainable market development – including a central register of hosts, equipment standards for short-term offers and a transparent tax system – he emphasizes.
Finding balance
Airbnb declares its readiness to cooperate with Polish local governments. The platform provides the Portal for Cities for six Polish metropolises and has signed partnership agreements with Krakow and the Warsaw Tourist Organization. The company also supports the implementation of an EU regulation that will facilitate authorities' access to data on hosts' activities.
— As a short-term rental operator we see regulations not as a threat, but as a tool for professionalizing the industryimproving the standard of stay for guests and better protection of property owners – summarizes Barwicki. — At the same time, I can agree that the complete removal of short-term offers will not lead to anything good – it would limit the availability of accommodation, affect many jobs, increase hotel prices and affect thousands of owners who make money by renting, he adds.
