Short-Term Rentals Under New Rules: Registration, New Obligations and Penalties from 2027

The National Council of the Slovak Republic adopted a new Act on the Register of Units for the Provision of Short-Term Accommodation Rental Services on 2 June 2026 (the “Act”). The new legislation responds to European rules aimed at increasing transparency in the short-term accommodation rental market facilitated through online platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com and other similar services.

According to the explanatory memorandum, the main objective of the Act is to establish a unified system for registering accommodation units offered for short-term rental, ensure reliable collection of data on the services provided, and introduce clear rules for both hosts and operators of online platforms. The new legislation also provides for the creation of a Register of Units for the Provision of Short-Term Accommodation Rental Services, which will function as a public administration information system and, at the same time, as a single digital point of contact.

The adopted Act implements Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which was introduced in response to the rapid growth of the platform economy in the short-term accommodation sector. The European legislator highlighted the long-standing lack of reliable information regarding who provides short-term rental services, where such services are offered and to what extent. According to the European Union, the absence of this data makes it more difficult for public authorities to assess the impact of short-term rentals on housing availability, rental prices and the functioning of local communities.

The new legislation therefore introduces not only registration obligations for hosts, but also new obligations for online platforms facilitating short-term accommodation rentals. Its objective is to create a more transparent environment in which public authorities have access to more accurate data on the short-term accommodation market, while also ensuring greater consistency of rules across the Member States of the European Union.

In this article, we examine who will be affected by the new legislation, what obligations it imposes on hosts and online platform operators, how the new register will operate, and what penalties may be imposed for non-compliance with the statutory requirements.