Thursday, December 12, 2024
Starting in 2025, Airbnb landlords in the Czech Republic will face stricter regulations.
They will be required to register their guests through the e-Turista portal, and municipalities will gain more authority to regulate short-term accommodations via online platforms.
“Municipalities could enforce stricter regulations, such as limiting the months when short-term rentals are allowed. This approach is already in place in other parts of the world,” says Regional Development Minister Ivan Bartoš.
Prague has previously tried to regulate Airbnb and similar platforms without success. “This is a significant change. The government recognizes that the state loses nearly CZK 800 million in taxes annually due to insufficient regulation. Additionally, municipalities lose about CZK 55 million annually in residence fees,” explains tax consultant Michal Dvořáček.
Although exact figures are unavailable, the Ministry of Industry and Trade estimates that 40 to 70 percent of stays on these platforms go unreported in the Czech Republic.
Besides Airbnb, international companies such as Wimdu, Booking.com, and Vrbo operate in the local short-term rental market, while Czech companies like E-chalupy and Chata.cz focus on out-of-town stays.
Registration via the e-Turista Portal
The new amendment will require short-term accommodation providers to register guests through the e-Turista portal. Each accommodation establishment will need a unique registration number.
Providers must initially register their start date in this field, the location of the accommodation, the maximum number of beds, and their personal and contact details.
Those who fail to report guests via the online system could face fines up to CZK 100,000. Platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com could face fines up to CZK 10 million if they violate their obligations.
These platforms are already required to provide authorities with data on apartment owners and their short-term rental activities upon request, but the Ministry admits that they often avoid this obligation. “They prefer to risk administrative penalties, which they can easily circumvent because they are based abroad and have no seizable assets in the country,” says Tuček.
