Cyprus: Tourist board calls for stricter rules for holiday rentals
Cyprus: Tourist board calls for stricter rules for holiday rentals
The Cyprus Tourism Association Stek is calling for a comprehensive tightening of the regulations for the short-term rental of holiday accommodation. The reason for this is a recent report by the Court of Auditors, which, in the opinion of the association, confirms long-standing deficiencies in the control and monitoring of the sector.
According to Stek, inadequate controls and weaknesses in the enforcement of existing laws endanger not only the safety of holidaymakers, but also the good reputation of Cyprus as a tourism location. The association has been criticising for years that the current legal framework has gaps in content as well as significant deficits in practical implementation.
Illegal holiday homes remain a problem
It
is particularly problematic that numerous holiday accommodations continue to be operated without the necessary permits and advertised online. At the same time, the responsible authorities lack effective control options and close cooperation to take consistent action against illegal providers.
From Stek's point of view, a simple register for holiday accommodations is no longer sufficient. Instead, the association calls for a modern control system with regular inspections, consistent enforcement of regulations and uniform safety standards for all accommodation establishments.
Impact on hotels and housing market
According to the tourism association, the current situation leads to unfair competition against licensed hotels. At the same time, the sharp increase in short-term rentals is exacerbating the housing problem, as more and more apartments are being withdrawn from the long-term rental market.
This makes it increasingly difficult for locals to find affordable housing. In addition, many residential areas suffer from a declining quality of life, while safety risks could also arise for vacationers.
Demand for comprehensive legal reform
Stek therefore welcomes the announcement by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism to revise the legal framework for short-term rentals. The association sees this as an opportunity to eliminate existing weaknesses and adopt proven regulations from other European countries.
The most important demands include systematic checks to identify illegal holiday accommodation, significantly stricter administrative and financial penalties, and the mandatory provision of an official registration number on all online booking platforms.
In addition, Stek calls for closer cooperation between the authorities and the booking platforms so that unregistered or illegal offers can be removed more quickly.
Limitation of rental days demanded
In addition, the association is in favor of limiting the annual rental days, as is already the case in several European countries.
Municipalities should also be given the option of restricting or completely prohibiting short-term rentals in particularly polluted residential areas if there is a shortage of housing, noise pollution or other problems for residents.
In addition, Stek calls for a mandatory overnight stay tax as well as uniform standards in the areas of safety, health protection and insurance for all tourist accommodations.
Europe tightens the rules
According to the association, the experience of many European countries shows that a sustainable operation of holiday homes is only possible with clear legal requirements, effective control and a balanced relationship between tourism, the housing market and the interests of the local population.
Stek announced that he would actively participate in the public consultation on the planned legislative reform and make concrete proposals for a modern, fair and enforceable legal framework.
The discussion in Cyprus is part of a Europe-wide development. More and more governments are tightening their regulations on short-term rentals to address the shortage of affordable housing. Cities such as Paris have already introduced caps on the rental of primary residences. Violations can be punished there with severe fines.
New requirements have also been in force at EU level since May 2026. Landlords must register their accommodations in a common European database. This should enable authorities to detect and remove illegal offers more quickly.
Market continues to grow significantly
The importance of the market continues to grow. According to current Eurostat figures, around 1.71 million overnight stays in short-term accommodation booked via platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia were registered in Cyprus in the fourth quarter of 2025 alone.
The market also reached new highs across the EU. In the first quarter of 2026, 144.3 million overnight stays were booked via online platforms. This corresponds to an increase of 9.7 percent compared to the same period last year and underlines the ongoing boom in short-term rentals in Europe.
Author: Redaktion
Source: CyprusMail.com / Stek Cyprus Tourist Board
According to Stek, inadequate controls and weaknesses in the enforcement of existing laws endanger not only the safety of holidaymakers, but also the good reputation of Cyprus as a tourism location. The association has been criticising for years that the current legal framework has gaps in content as well as significant deficits in practical implementation.
Illegal holiday homes remain a problem
It
is particularly problematic that numerous holiday accommodations continue to be operated without the necessary permits and advertised online. At the same time, the responsible authorities lack effective control options and close cooperation to take consistent action against illegal providers.
From Stek's point of view, a simple register for holiday accommodations is no longer sufficient. Instead, the association calls for a modern control system with regular inspections, consistent enforcement of regulations and uniform safety standards for all accommodation establishments.
Impact on hotels and housing market
According to the tourism association, the current situation leads to unfair competition against licensed hotels. At the same time, the sharp increase in short-term rentals is exacerbating the housing problem, as more and more apartments are being withdrawn from the long-term rental market.
This makes it increasingly difficult for locals to find affordable housing. In addition, many residential areas suffer from a declining quality of life, while safety risks could also arise for vacationers.
Demand for comprehensive legal reform
Stek therefore welcomes the announcement by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism to revise the legal framework for short-term rentals. The association sees this as an opportunity to eliminate existing weaknesses and adopt proven regulations from other European countries.
The most important demands include systematic checks to identify illegal holiday accommodation, significantly stricter administrative and financial penalties, and the mandatory provision of an official registration number on all online booking platforms.
In addition, Stek calls for closer cooperation between the authorities and the booking platforms so that unregistered or illegal offers can be removed more quickly.
Limitation of rental days demanded
In addition, the association is in favor of limiting the annual rental days, as is already the case in several European countries.
Municipalities should also be given the option of restricting or completely prohibiting short-term rentals in particularly polluted residential areas if there is a shortage of housing, noise pollution or other problems for residents.
In addition, Stek calls for a mandatory overnight stay tax as well as uniform standards in the areas of safety, health protection and insurance for all tourist accommodations.
Europe tightens the rules
According to the association, the experience of many European countries shows that a sustainable operation of holiday homes is only possible with clear legal requirements, effective control and a balanced relationship between tourism, the housing market and the interests of the local population.
Stek announced that he would actively participate in the public consultation on the planned legislative reform and make concrete proposals for a modern, fair and enforceable legal framework.
The discussion in Cyprus is part of a Europe-wide development. More and more governments are tightening their regulations on short-term rentals to address the shortage of affordable housing. Cities such as Paris have already introduced caps on the rental of primary residences. Violations can be punished there with severe fines.
New requirements have also been in force at EU level since May 2026. Landlords must register their accommodations in a common European database. This should enable authorities to detect and remove illegal offers more quickly.
Market continues to grow significantly
The importance of the market continues to grow. According to current Eurostat figures, around 1.71 million overnight stays in short-term accommodation booked via platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com and Expedia were registered in Cyprus in the fourth quarter of 2025 alone.
The market also reached new highs across the EU. In the first quarter of 2026, 144.3 million overnight stays were booked via online platforms. This corresponds to an increase of 9.7 percent compared to the same period last year and underlines the ongoing boom in short-term rentals in Europe.
Author: Redaktion
Source: CyprusMail.com / Stek Cyprus Tourist Board
