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Croatia: The Croatian government has approved draft legislation introducing rules for short-term holiday rentals, including a national registration system and mandatory registration numbers for properties advertised on digital booking platforms.
If approved by Parliament, the new Hospitality Act will come into force on 1 January 2027 and is designed to align Croatia with the EU’s Short-Term Rental Regulation (EU 2024/1028), which aims to improve data sharing between member states and online platforms.
Under the proposed legislation, all private accommodation providers will be required to register through a centralised system, with every room, apartment and holiday home receiving a unique registration number before it can be listed online.
The government said the measures will improve transparency, support enforcement and help prevent unregistered properties from operating on digital booking platforms.
The legislation will also introduce the full digitalisation of administrative procedures through Croatia’s eTurizam platform, allowing accommodation providers to complete official processes online.
Additional measures include mandatory re-categorisation for certain accommodation providers, stronger enforcement powers involving additional public authorities, and increased penalties for illegal accommodation businesses.
Tourism and Sports Minister Tonči Glavina said the reforms are intended to create a more transparent and sustainable short-term rental sector while protecting legitimate operators and improving the quality of Croatia’s tourism offering.
The proposal will now be debated by the Croatian Parliament. If adopted, the legislation is scheduled to take effect from 1 January 2027.
Highlights:
- Croatia has approved draft legislation introducing new rules for short-term rentals
- A national registration system will become mandatory from January 2027
- Properties advertised on digital platforms will require a unique registration number
- The reforms implement the EU’s Short-Term Rental Regulation (EU 2024/1028)
- The legislation also introduces stronger enforcement powers and digitalised administration
