Poland on the podium in the growth of Airbnb and Booking bookings. New regulations on the way
The Polish Economic Institute reported that in 2025, Poland recorded 163 stays booked on platforms such as Airbnb, Booking or Expedia for every 1,000 inhabitants. This is the 14th result in the European Union, lower than the EU average of 190 stays per 1,000 people.
The Institute pointed out that the highest rate in the Community is recorded in popular tourist countries, such as Croatia, where 730 stays per 1,000 inhabitants were recorded, and Malta and Greece – 665 and 423 stays, respectively. In Spain and Portugal, this indicator was 261 and 388 stays, respectively. PIE noted that this indicator is an average value for the country, therefore it may be higher locally, especially in popular tourist cities.
The popularity of “online accommodation” in Poland is growing
However, Eurostat data cited in the publication shows that the popularity of accommodation rental platforms in Poland is growing. In the years 2018-2025, our country was the second country in the EU in terms of the increase in the number of such stays in relation to the population. The number of stays per 1,000 inhabitants increased by 203% during this period.
In Romania, which was at the top of the ranking, it was 285%. The other fastest growing markets in this respect are Slovakia and Sweden: 192% respectively. and 176 percent, and in the entire EU the increase in the number of stays was 113 percent.
“Short-term rental in cities where it already accounts for a large part of the housing stock has a negative impact on the housing situation. A classic example is Barcelona, where (…) in the districts with the largest concentration of apartments for short-term rental, (long-term) rental and sales prices increased by 7% and 17%, respectively, in the years 2012-2016,” PIE reported, citing research by Spanish scientists.
It was added that a study on Stockholm shows that in the period 2012-2016 one short-term rental offer was associated with the withdrawal of an average of 0.15 permanently occupied apartments.
According to the data cited, short-term rental in Barcelona and the related tourist traffic generated EUR 1.9 billion in 2023 and contributed to maintaining approx. jobs.
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PIE
The Institute also noted that the European Commission will soon want to solve the problem of short-term rental of residential premises in areas affected by housing problems. In May this year Regulation 2024/1028 on the collection and disclosure of data for short-term rental services of residential premises will come into force, thanks to which landlords will be obliged, among others, to: to register real estate and obtain an identification number to be included in advertisements.
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It was recalled that in April 2025, regulations came into force in Spain requiring, among others, registration of apartments intended for short-term rental. After their introduction, the supply of such premises decreased significantly, and in the first months of the new law being in force, over 65,000 units were withdrawn. short-term rental offers of apartments that did not meet the requirements.
According to data from the National Statistical Institute in Spain cited by PIE, the number of apartments intended for short-term rental in November 2025 decreased by 12% annually.
Changes in the law on short-term rental in Poland
Short-term rental is increasingly becoming a source of heated disputes in residential buildings. Residents complain about noise, destruction of common areas and the turnover of tenants resembling that of a hotel. In response, housing communities adopt resolutions prohibiting or limiting this type of activity, and some developers include such prohibitions directly in apartment sales contracts.
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In Poland, work is underway on changes to the law to regulate the short-term rental market. The draft act of the Ministry of Sport and Tourism assumes the introduction of a central register of facilities and the obligation to have a registration number for offers published on platforms. There is also a parliamentary parliamentary project Poland 2050, which provides, among others, introduction of mandatory records of entities providing such services.
From May 20, 2026, short-term rentals will be subject to mandatory registration (CWTON). Failure to register will result in an administrative fine of up to PLN 50,000. zloty. These changes are intended to organize the market, but the industry signals that in practice they may create additional barriers for apartment owners and rental operators.
