Report -: Register for STR Across EU and in Ireland

What Is Happening in EU States

Belgium   –                 Due to issues with all Short-term rentals being banned in Brussels since May 2014, and a change of government this summer the Register for STR is not in place. The  new government who are working on implementing a proportionate regulatory framework for STR, rather than make  illegal as declared by the previous government.  The Advocate General of the  Court of Justice of the EU gave an opinion on 5/2/26 which said that transparency is needed regarding data to define proportionate regulatory policies in the medium term. Studies are also needed focused on the economic impact of the short-term rental sector.

Croatia –                    Draft implementation of Register in Jan 2027. The Hospitality and Catering Act, implementing the STR            Regulation has been notified to TRIS. Unlike Ireland where single units are the norm, many self-catering in Croatia are in apartments, and there are issues with this at national level

Cyprus –                        Cyprus plans to bring in a Register for STR, but as only 23% of all tourist accommodaiton is presently fully licensed, this is some way in the future.

France –                        France has over 1 mil STR properties. There are restriction in some large citys on STR.   The Register for STR will be introduced in the Autumn in France, with the French API link being used across the EU.

Denmark–                     Originally planned opt out from the EU Register for STR, but as they have clear licensing in place for all existing STR they are starting to plan implementation by 2027.

Germany  –     The 9 regions with Registration system* will be ready by 1st September.  These are Hamburg and 8 municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia (Aachen, Bonn, Brühl, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Münster, Weseling).   Some regions will not be ready  for the Register until 2027.

Greece  –                             Greece has + 90,000  STR units with all STR properties having an property registration no or AMA tough the independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) linked to taxation. Each unit has a separate number which must be displayed on all advertising, since October 2025.

Ireland –                            Plan to introduce Register in Dec 1-31 2026. No legislation in place yet. More details below

Italy –                        A registration system in pace with a tax code, police registration submitted for all guest ID within 24 hrs of arrival. If have 2 or less STR Properties classified as not business, but 3 or is a business with Vat number. From summer visits to Italy we aware that there are many properties trading without STR Registration number and enforcement is weak, so far.

Malta –                       Starting to test the technical solution with platforms

Netherlands –          Already have a municipal registration system and can connect to the national Register which was approved on STR Regulations and Data Sharing Bill on 18/7/26*

Poland –                   Has passed a STR Parliamentary Bill 2353 notified to TRIS and this take 3 months to complete

Portugal –              More organised than most other states with all properties Registered. Local mayors are consulted on the percentage of Self-Catering in a Region.

Slovenia                 A new Government was sworn in by the National Assembly on 4/6/2026 with Prime Minister Janez Janša. The Register for STR is paused at present as there are issues with laws on rental of apartments, brought in by the previous Government which is at the constitutional court at present.

Spain –                   Local Registration needed for each STR business. The Spanish Supreme court  (Judgment 620/2026 STS 2148/2026) of 19 May  has delayed a national register, though regional registers are still in place. More details below.

Register for STR in Ireland

Proposals are to introduce a Register for STR* as well as a National Planning Statement for STR, which is a national competence. But as Ireland is the only country to link planning to the Register for all existing Self-catering and glamping businesses the EU Commission is keeping a close eye on proposals.

Locally, the Irish Short-Term Tourism Letting Register (STLR) is aligned with this EU mandate and will be operated by Fáilte Ireland*. Under the Irish legislation, operators offering paid accommodation for up to 21 nights must register their units, declare that they comply with statutory obligations, and display their unique registration number on all listings.

However Ireland is the only EU Country to tie a planning requirement for all self-catering, new and existing.

Ireland’s new draft planning statement proposes:-

•  Restrict STR to towns below a population of 20,000, based on the last census and based on town boundaries as defined by the CSO. For Self-catering businesses in these areas there will be a 2 year allowance to get planning permission
•   For towns with a population over 20,000 in the last census, they need to be planning compliant before the Register is introduced on December 1st. If a business has been 7 years or more in continuous short-term rental then no enforcement action will be taken planning will be granted, according to Minister for Housing statement.

Planning Legislation will Close many Self-Catering and Glamping

The suppositions  on The Dept of Tourism Website statement assumes that the EU will accept the Draft National Planning Statement for STR under the IMI procedure rather that TRIS.   SME Self-catering businesses are then given 3 weeks in December 2026 to comply with the Register for STR, being managed by Failte Ireland.

They then assume this will  allow for all STR to be registered.  In areas above 20,000 population planning compliant by end of December 2026 planning needs to be in place by December 2026, despite no clarity on when the new rules for STR will be in place. This is unbalanced and unfair on SME businesses.

There has been a serious loss of  purpose built Self-catering in rural Ireland and those who have opened up in  the past 7 years have not right to continue in business, according to proposed rules. We have been at a stalemate for SME Self- Catering planning for over 10 years with most planning applications turned down by LEA planners. This is because there is a lack of clarity from the Department of Housing, who want all self-catering at todays very high building standards, though these units are only to be occupied to a maximum of 21 nights.

The reality is that the  Draft National Planning Statement will close many SME self-catering businesses at the end of 2026, all the while Aparthotels and Hotel Suites are being planning permission. Is there one rule for an Irish SME and another rule for a large corporations?  TD’s recognise that SME Self-caterng and glamping businesses in rural Ireland are facing an impossible situation.

At EU Level as Tris is notified about national Legislation, each is checked to see if they meet EU legislative standards, and this takes 3 months or more. Ireland has been to TRIS in 2022 ( bill withdrawn in Oct 2022), in 2024 the TRIS committee paused the Irish Register for STR as it did not meet EU requirements for balance, proportionality and fairness under the Services Directive. The Dept of Housing were to return to the EU Commission with proposals, and this may not yet be done.

As the Irish Government focuses on the EU Presidency with the aim of a smooth tenure, are the staff in Departments focused on bringing legislation which will work before December 2026?

Will the Irish Government have to return to TRIS again or does it meet all EU Directives on issues impacting the singe market?

Lithuania will take over the Presidency of the Council of the EU in January 2027 and Greece in July 2027. Will we still be wondering if a Register linked to planning for all existing self-catering and glamping businesses in Ireland is acceptable, fair, proportionate and balanced?

ISCF Proposals for a Register

The Register for STR and the associated planning legislation is flawed and unworkable  for SME businesses in Ireland. We need a Register for STR and TAL or Tourism Accommodation Lets for SME businesses.    We need a National Planning Statement for STR to allow for new self-catering to be developed in Ireland, for wild retreats, heritage houses,  farm diversification,  glamping, renovation of old housing stock. We should not have to accept a retrospective planning requirement for all existing STR stock, with the planning rules introduced in 2019..  There are derelict properties all over Ireland, yet none can be turned self-catering until the planning regulations for new properties are in place. There are over 58 Ghost or unfinished Housing estates in Ireland in 2026, with 12 in Donegal, 10 in Tipperary and 7 in Leitrim, which cannot be turned into tourism accommodation under present rules

The ISCF proposed a Tourism Accommodation Lets for existing properties. We need a proportionate exeption from planning for all quality assured self-catering and glamping, as has been proposed for some heritage properties. There are many properties with STR Planning built since in the 1980’s to 2008 with  Section 23 tax relief. Many of these are no longer in the tourism offering,  but  will  still be able to register on the Register for STR as they have the required planning, though lived in long-term. Clear data on the number of tourism beds is the aim of the EU Register, not closing down existing STR stock in a country.

The ISCF represents the sector at national and EU level. In June we met with MEPS,  staff of the Commissioner for Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, and other Commission staff. They are still awaiting an update from Ireland on the proposed legislation – the Register for STR Bill as well as the National Planning Statement for STR from the Department of Housing. They cannot act until the legislation in presented, to see if it meets EU Directives

The ISCF is calling for meaningful dialogue with the industry, ITIC and tourism partners so a Register for STR can be put in place to give clear Data. We need the self-catering sector for 2027 and beyond. Planners need to have clear workable guidelines so new businesses can be developed and existing businesses can continue  to welcome guests to Ireland. Tourism is the largest indigenous industry, and it needs to be protected by Government, not dismantled in rural Ireland, based on the needs of Dublin.  The self-catering sector in Ireland did not cause the housing crisis and many properties built as tourism lets are already housing people long term in every rural coastal village and town. Tourism is the largest indigenous employer in Ireland and we do not want short term rental rules which will destroy the sector.

For more details contact the Info@ISCF.ie

Interview in June 2026 with STAMA Greek association media company BnBNews.Gr

About the Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) The Irish Self-Catering Federation (ISCF) is the national representative and lobbying body for owners of self-catering properties in Ireland. Established in 1998, the ISCF advocates on behalf of its members to promote and develop the interests of the self-catering sector across the country.

The ISCF has called for a Register for STR since 2017. Recognised by Fáilte Ireland, local and central government, and key tourism stakeholders, the ISCF works to ensure that self-catering accommodation providers have a unified voice in policy discussions and industry developments.

The federation represents a diverse range of property owners, from individual holiday home operators to larger agencies and groups. In addition to national advocacy, the ISCF is a member of the European Holiday Homes Association (EHHA), engaging in discussions and policy development at the European level to support the self-catering industry.