October the 15th, 2026 – Major changes for private landlords in Croatia are coming in 2027, with new categorisation every 10 years and mandatory registration numbers just part of it.
By the end of the year, the Croatian Government intends to pass a new Hospitality Activity Act that will introduce a series of changes for private landlords, hotels, campsites, hospitality operators and short-term rental platforms. Poslovni reports that one of the most important novelties starts in 2027: rooms, apartments, studio apartments and holiday homes advertised via online short-term rental platforms will have to have a unique registration number.
Without it, the property will not be allowed to be advertised on such platforms. It’s important to note that this obligation is not yet in force. The Ministry of Tourism and Sport has explicitly warned landlords that during 2026 there is still no obligation to obtain a registration number. The exact start date of application will be published after the new Hospitality Activity Act is adopted.
the number will be free of charge and issued by the relevant ministry
The registration number will have to be obtained by owners (both natural and legal persons) who offer rooms, apartments, studio apartments or holiday homes via short-term rental platforms. The procedure is expected to be completely free and digitalised, and the number will be issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Sport upon request. The landlord will then have to display it with the listing on the platform.
The goal is to link all of the national data held with the online platforms so that it can be verified whether the property being advertised is genuinely registered for the provision of accommodation services. This should make it significantly more difficult to advertise apartments, rooms and holiday homes that are rented out without the required permit.
greater responsibility must come from the platforms themselves
The new rules will not apply only to accommodation owners. Online short-term rental platforms will have to cooperate with the state system, exchange prescribed data and check whether listings have the required registration number. The draft law also provides for high fines for platforms that fail to meet these obligations. The registration system stems from the European Regulation on the collection and exchange of data on short-term rentals, and Croatia is regulating the manner of its implementation with the new law.
re-categorisation for landlords
The registration number is not the only change looming in 2027, as the new law will introduce for the first time mandatory periodic re-categorisation for private landlords as well. According to the proposal that has passed the first reading in Parliament, rooms, apartments, studio apartments and holiday homes will have to undergo re-categorisation every ten years, after alignment with the new rulebook (pravilnik). The aim is that the number of stars and the category of the property do not remain permanently linked to the condition the accommodation was in at the time of the first decision, but that they correspond to its actual condition.
For hotels and campsites the current four-year re-categorisation deadline would be extended to five years. For certain other accommodation facilities, such as hostels, overnight stays, and mountain and hunting lodges, a re-check every five years is introduced.
a shakeup for residential premises…
Another important change concerns legal persons and craftsmen. According to the current draft law, in future they would no longer be issued new decisions for rooms, apartments and studio apartments in premises that have a residential purpose. The possibility would remain for holiday homes. The government justifies this measure by protecting the basic function of housing and reducing the pressure of short-term rentals on the availability of apartments for long-term housing. This concerns new decisions; the law will ultimately determine the transitional regime for existing facilities.
big brother will be watching illegal rentals
The circle of bodies that can participate in the supervision of unregistered provision of hospitality services is also being expanded. In addition to the State Inspectorate, the Customs Administration and municipal wardens would also be involved in supervision, and in certain cases nature wardens as well. An additional reason for revoking a decision from a hospitality operator or landlord could also be established non-payment of the tourist tax. At the same time, administrative procedures in tourism should almost entirely move to the digital eTurizam system, from submitting applications and categorisation to communication with competent authorities and issuing decisions.
The Croatian Government sent the draft of the new Hospitality Activity Act to Parliament at the end of June, and MPs accepted it in the first reading on the 3rd of July. 78 MPs voted in favour, 14 against and 37 abstained. Now, after remarks from the parliamentary debate, the final draft of the law is being prepared, which must again pass the Government and Parliament. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced on Tuesday that the adoption of the law is expected by the end of 2026.
Only the final text will show whether some of the rules from the first draft have been further amended. For private landlords the most important thing is that they do not yet need to request a registration number during 2026. After the law is adopted, the Ministry will publish the exact date from which, during 2027, those who advertise their accommodation units via online platforms must have it.
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