Нови правила за AirBnb и Booking през 2026г. | Адвокатска кантора "KGK"

Do you own an apartment that you rent out through Airbnb or Booking? Or are you thinking about getting started? Then the following lines are important for you. As of 20 May 2026, a new European regulation comes into force - Regulation (EU) 2024/1028, and it is changing the game for everyone who rents out properties for short stays online. From that date onwards, online platforms will be required to verify whether property owners (hosts) hold a valid registration number (for Bulgaria, this is the Unique Identification Code - UIC) and whether it is clearly displayed in the listing.

What is this actually about?

The Regulation establishes common rules for the entire European Union – the same rules for Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, France, and all other Member States. The idea is simple: to have a clear and uniform procedure for the registration of properties offered for short-term rental, and for platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, Expedia, and similar ones to exchange information with the national authorities.

From the moment it enters into force, every “host” - that is, anyone offering short-term accommodation for payment through an online platform - will be required to register their property under the relevant procedure. Without registration, the listing simply will not be able to exist.

How was it until now?

In Bulgaria, an obligation to register has existed before. Apartments, rooms, and houses rented out for overnight stays fall into the category of “accommodation establishments, Class ‘B’”. Before listing them online, you were required to register them with the Municipality and in the National Tourism Register, as well as to regularly pay the taxes due on the income.

Reality, however, was often different. Many owners skipped these steps and listed their properties directly on the platforms - without registration, without declarations, without taxes. The grey sector flourished, while hoteliers and registered hosts found themselves at a disadvantage.

What is changing?

Platforms will now require your Unique Identification Code (UIC)before they even allow you to publish a listing. If the listing is not linked to a valid UIC, it will simply be removed.

Are there any exceptions?

Yes, and they are important. The Regulation does not apply to:

hotels and similar accommodation establishments (hostels, motels);
campsites.

These establishments are governed by their own rules and regulations and therefore fall outside the scope of the new framework.

Another important point: The Regulation does not introduce any new taxes or fees. It merely regulates the procedures for registration and the exchange of data. The indirect effect, however, is clear – hosts who have so far operated outside the scope of the law will have to “come into the light” and start paying what is due.

Platforms are already tightening controls

Airbnb, Booking, and other platforms will not only require hosts to provide their UIC before allowing them to publish a listing, but will also be able to carry out subsequent random checks on the validity of the number. If it is established that a given host has provided an invalid number or inaccurate information, the competent authorities may order the platforms to remove or block access to the listing concerned.

And that is not all. Every month, the platforms will have to send the national authorities aggregated data on each registered property – how many overnight stays have been generated, how many guests have been accommodated, and so on. Part of this information will also be collected through the Unified Tourism Information System (ESTI), where the properties have to be registered in any event.

And now for the good news

We know that all of this may sound daunting, especially if you have so far regarded renting out as a side activity “not worth the bureaucracy.” But here is what you should pay attention to:

The aim is not to punish anyone. The aim is to put an end to arbitrariness – properties without registration, without minimum quality standards, without accountability to guests. And at the same time - to create more equal conditions with traditional hotels, which have been paying taxes and complying with the rules for years.

You have time. Listings of unregistered properties will not disappear automatically overnight. Owners have time to bring their properties into compliance before the Regulation enters into force, and if they have not done so by 20 May, their listings will be at risk of being removed.

If you are among those who are already renting out a property or are planning to start, now is the moment to do your homework – registration, UIC, declaration of income. The procedure is not complicated, especially if you tackle it calmly and in good time. And if anything in the process seems confusing to you, or if you want to make sure that everything is in order – get in touch with KGK Law Firm, and we will take care of the process.