Across Europe, governments and city authorities are increasingly restricting Airbnb-style short-term rentals as housing affordability and availability become major political issues. From Barcelona and Amsterdam to Paris, London, Athens, and Thessaloniki, policymakers are introducing tighter regulations aimed at balancing tourism growth with the needs of local residents.
While economists remain divided on the precise impact of short-term rental platforms on housing costs, the regulatory trend is unmistakable: Europe is moving toward stricter oversight of the short-term rental market.
Greece is the latest country to expand restrictions, introducing new measures that could gradually reduce the number of licensed short-term rental properties in some of its most popular urban districts.
Europe’s Airbnb Crackdown Expands: Greece Joins Growing Push to Restrict Short-Term Rentals
The regulation of short-term rentals has become one of the defining trends shaping Europe’s housing and tourism markets.
From Athens and Thessaloniki to Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, and London, authorities are tightening rules on Airbnb-style accommodation as concerns over housing affordability, urban development, and tourism pressures intensify.
Although many governments link the growth of short-term rentals to rising rents and housing shortages, there is no universal consensus regarding the scale of Airbnb’s impact. Housing market pressures are influenced by multiple factors, including insufficient housing construction, demographic changes, investment activity, and urban planning constraints.
Nevertheless, restrictions on short-term rentals are expanding rapidly across Europe, creating a new regulatory landscape for property owners and investors.
Greece Expands Airbnb Restrictions
In Greece, authorities recently extended the suspension of new short-term rental registrations in selected districts of Athens while introducing similar restrictions in Thessaloniki for the first time.
In Athens, the freeze affects neighborhoods with a particularly high concentration of short-term rental properties, including the historic center, Plaka, Koukaki, and Metaxourgeio. Existing legally registered properties are not affected.
A similar measure will apply in Thessaloniki’s First Municipal District from July 2026 through the end of the year, limiting the addition of new properties to the national short-term rental registry.
A significant change included in new legislation currently under public consultation would remove properties from the Short-Term Rental Registry whenever ownership changes through sale, inheritance, donation, or parental transfer.
If maintained over the long term, the measure could significantly reduce the number of licensed short-term rental units in central Athens and Thessaloniki over the coming decade.
Barcelona Leads Europe’s Toughest Crackdown
Barcelona has adopted the most aggressive approach among major European cities.
Municipal authorities have announced plans not to renew approximately 10,000 tourist apartment licenses as they expire by 2028. The objective is the gradual elimination of licensed tourist apartments and their return to the conventional housing market.
The move reflects growing political pressure to address housing shortages and rising living costs in one of Europe’s most visited destinations.
Amsterdam, Paris and London Tighten Controls
Amsterdam currently limits short-term rentals to 30 nights per year, with city authorities considering reducing that limit to 15 nights from 2026.
Property owners must register their activity and comply with strict operating requirements.
Paris enforces a 120-day annual limit for short-term rentals of primary residences. French law also allows municipalities to reduce that threshold to 90 days if local housing conditions require stronger intervention.
London has long maintained a 90-night annual limit for entire-home short-term rentals listed on digital platforms.
New Restrictions Across Europe
Other major European cities are implementing similar measures.
Berlin requires special permits before entire apartments can be offered on short-term rental platforms.
Lisbon has restricted the issuance of new short-term rental licenses in districts already saturated with tourist accommodation.
Florence has limited new licenses within its historic city center, while Madrid has introduced stricter approval procedures and is considering additional restrictions in several neighborhoods.
The trend extends beyond Europe. New York has implemented one of the world’s strictest regulatory frameworks, severely limiting rentals of fewer than 30 days and requiring mandatory host registration.
A New Era for Short-Term Rentals
The direction of travel appears increasingly clear.
European policymakers are moving toward tighter supervision of the short-term rental sector, even as debate continues over how much these measures can alleviate broader housing market pressures.
Whether or not Airbnb-style rentals are a primary driver of housing affordability problems, they have become a central target of public policy.
For property owners, investors, and tourism operators, the era of largely unrestricted short-term rentals is rapidly coming to an end.