Europe increases pressure on Airbnb: bans, limits, and new fines

Photo: AOL

Across Europe, rules for short-term rentals affecting Airbnb and similar platforms are continuing to tighten, according to a Travel Host publication on AOL. Authorities cite security concerns, rising rents, and tourism pressure on residential neighborhoods as the main drivers. The latest step is a ban on contactless check-ins in Milan from January 2026, against the backdrop of existing restrictions in other cities and countries.

Milan: ban on contactless check-in

From January 2026, Milan will introduce a ban on the use of key boxes, coded locks, and other contactless check-in solutions for short-term rental properties. The restrictions cover devices installed on building facades and other elements of the urban environment that face public space. All such installations must be removed.

Non-compliance is punishable by fines ranging from €100 to €400, along with an obligation to cover the cost of removing the devices. The measure affects one of the core elements of the short-term rental model, which allowed guests to arrive without direct contact with the host and without prior coordination.

Authorities emphasize that the decision is not simply about fighting “ugly” locks and boxes. The main focus is security: without in-person verification at check-in, the risk increases that people can stay anonymously and their identities cannot be properly tracked. This factor is seen as particularly sensitive amid major events and rising tourist flows. The Milan ban mirrors an approach previously used in other historic tourist cities in Italy.

France and the Netherlands

Paris has been steadily restricting short-term rentals and tightening liability for illegal listings. Property owners must register their units, and accommodation without proper status can face fines of up to €100,000. At the same time, the cap on the number of nights a primary residence can be rented out has been tightened: short-term rentals are now limited to 90 nights per year, down from 120.

Amsterdam applies one of the strictest short-term rental regimes. The city enforces a limit of 30 nights per year per property, along with guest-number restrictions and mandatory registration requirements. In some districts, renting entire homes to tourists is banned outright, and violations can result in substantial fines.

Germany and Spain

In Germany, the approach to tourist accommodation is becoming stricter, especially for apartments used as investment properties for short-term rentals. In many cases, short-term letting is limited to owner-occupied homes or requires a special permit. In some scenarios, limits also apply to the duration of short-term rentals, and enforcement is being strengthened.

Spain is also actively regulating the short-term rental market, with direct bans and quantitative limits playing a key role. Barcelona has decided not to renew licenses for tourist apartments: by 2028, around 10,000 units are expected to exit the market. Authorities see this step as a tool for returning housing to the long-term rental segment and reducing pressure on the market.

Malaga has introduced a three-year moratorium on issuing new permits. In Seville, authorities have begun cutting off water to properties being rented out without a license. In the Canary Islands, converting apartments into tourist rentals is restricted by property requirements: a minimum floor area of 35 sq. m and a separate entrance without the use of shared areas. In urban zones, at least 90% of the housing stock must retain permanent residential use, while the share allowed for tourist rentals is limited to 10%; on less populated islands, the cap is 20%. In some locations, short-term rentals are prohibited entirely.

Conclusion

Analysts at International Investment note that Europe is seeing a steady trend toward tighter regulation of short-term rentals. Restrictions are no longer isolated measures and increasingly affect core market parameters—property condition and status, check-in requirements, permitted rental periods, and the share of tourist housing within the residential stock. As these measures expand, opportunities to earn income from this type of business are gradually narrowing.

For investors, new property requirements mean higher costs and a narrower choice of locations. At the same time, rental yields in many European cities remain quite modest. Once management costs, taxes, and potential vacancy periods are factored in, the profitability of short-term rentals may fall to zero. In this environment, tighter regulation becomes a critical factor that directly affects the viability of investments in the segment.