Short-term rental in Germany: rules and advice for owners

No federal rulebook, many local answers

Germany has no nationwide statute on short-term rental. Federal law only organises the data side: EU Regulation 2024/1028 has applied since 20 May 2026, the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) runs the single digital entry point for platform data, and each Land and municipality decides whether to open a registration procedure. There is therefore no single German registration number; you need one only where your city has created a scheme.

Where the real decisions are taken

The binding limits come from Länder laws against the misuse of housing (Zweckentfremdungsverbot) and from the municipal statutes built on them. Berlin, Hamburg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony and several other Länder have such laws; within them, each city decides whether they apply, in which districts, how long a home may host visitors without a permit and whether a number must appear in listings.

How the cities on our list compare

• Registration plus a main-residence logic: Berlin requires a registration number in every listing and a permit to let a whole flat; Hamburg has required registration since 2019 and, since 20 May 2026, limits a main residence to eight weeks a year without approval; Munich adopted a registration duty in summer 2026 and keeps an eight-week permit-free window for owner-occupied homes; Frankfurt applies an eight-week annual limit with approval beyond it.
• Approval needed above a threshold: Cologne, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Leipzig (city-wide since September 2024), Hanover (since July 2025), Nuremberg and Freiburg. North Rhine-Westphalia also requires a housing ID where a statute applies.
• Perimeter to confirm: Dortmund, Bremen, Bonn, Münster and Aachen apply rules in designated areas only; Dresden presented a draft statute in May 2026.
• No city-wide ban confirmed by us: Essen, Duisburg, Bochum, Wuppertal, Bielefeld, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Augsburg, Wiesbaden, Gelsenkirchen, Mönchengladbach, Braunschweig, Lübeck, Rostock, Potsdam, Heidelberg, Regensburg, Würzburg and Konstanz. Planning law and building rules can still restrict you there.

Taxes and guest records

Many cities levy an overnight or accommodation tax. Since 1 January 2025, German guests no longer complete a registration form, but foreign guests still must under the Federal Registration Act, and the forms are kept for one year. Rental profits are declared for income tax, and a hotel-like service can raise commercial and VAT questions.

What we would do in your place

Ask your city's housing office three things: is there a statute, does it cover my street, and do I need a number? Get the answers in writing, then read the owners' association rules. We look at every German enquiry and tell you honestly whether and how we can help.