From 20 May 2026, EU Regulation 2024/1028 Is Operational: What Changes for Landlords
If you rent rooms or apartments to university students through a digital platform, new regulatory obligations apply to you across the entire European Union from 20 May 2026. Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 — adopted on 11 April 2024 — is directly applicable in all 27 EU member states without requiring national transposition. The same rules apply today in Milan, Madrid, Paris, Berlin, and Lisbon.
This guide explains what the regulation requires, who it applies to, what concrete obligations it introduces, and how a specialised platform handles compliance structurally for landlords in the student rental market.
What Is EU Regulation 2024/1028 and Why Does It Exist
The regulation was created to resolve a structural problem that had persisted for years: digital platforms collected detailed data on every booking but did not share it with public authorities. Local governments had no visibility into how many properties were being used for short-term rentals. Tax authorities could not cross-reference booking data with income declarations. Those operating informally did so with no meaningful risk of detection.
The regulation's objective is not to ban or restrict rentals: there is no European cap on the number of nights or months that can be rented. The aim is to make the sector transparent and traceable, giving local authorities the tools to monitor it effectively.
One critical point for landlords: the regulation is directly applicable. There is no national transposition phase to wait for. From 20 May 2026, the obligations are active.
Who Falls Within the Scope
The regulation applies to anyone who rents rooms or entire apartments for periods under one year through online platforms, whether professionally or occasionally. Even a single landlord renting one room to an Erasmus student for five months through a digital platform falls within the regulatory scope.
Covered by the regulation:
- Private individuals with one or more rooms listed on digital platforms
- Small landlords with 2–10 properties aimed at students
- Real estate agencies and student housing operators using OTAs or marketplaces
- Anyone using platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com, HousingAnywhere, Spotahome, or ESH to intermediate a rental
The Concrete Obligations: What Landlords Must Do
1. Registration and Unique Identification Code
Before publishing any listing on any platform, the landlord must register with the competent authority of the EU member state where the property is located and obtain a unique identification code. Requirements vary by country:
- Italy: CIN (Codice Identificativo Nazionale) linked to the Ministry of Tourism database, or CIR (Codice Identificativo di Riferimento) already required in Lombardy and other regions
- Spain: VIVIENDA registration code, now mandatory in most autonomous communities
- France: numéro d'enregistrement, required in all cities with over 200,000 inhabitants
- Germany: Registriernummer, implemented at Länder level with varying timelines
- Portugal: AL (Alojamento Local) registration number, managed by local municipalities
- Other EU countries: equivalent national or regional registration systems — check with your local authority
The code must appear on every listing published online. Any material change to the property must be communicated to the registration authority within 24 hours.
2. Automatic Verification by Platforms
From 20 May 2026, platforms are required to verify the registration code against public registries and conduct random compliance checks. Listings without a valid national registration code are removed automatically — without prior notice to the landlord.
3. Monthly Data Transmission to Authorities
Platforms transmit — monthly for larger platforms, quarterly for smaller ones — the following data for each booking to the national Single Digital Entry Point (SDEP):
| Data transmitted | Details |
|---|---|
| Nights rented | Number per unit per period |
| Number of guests | Per individual booking |
| Listing URL | Direct link to the published listing |
| Full property address | Of the rented property |
| Identification code | National registration number of the unit |
This data is cross-referenced with income tax declarations and local authority databases across all 27 member states.
4. Key Boxes and Physical Check-In: A Critical Issue
A related measure concerns the delivery of keys via key boxes installed on the exterior of buildings. Authorities in several member states — including Italy's Ministry of the Interior (Circular 38138/2024, November 2024) and equivalent bodies in France and Spain — have clarified that guest identification must occur through physical presence or certified biometric systems. A standard external key box alone is not compliant. For landlords renting to students on monthly stays, this requires either a supervised check-in or certified technological alternatives.
If You Rent Through a Digital Platform: The Practical Implications
For landlords who rent through digital platforms — including those renting to Erasmus students, full-degree students, or interns — the most concrete consequences are four:
- 1Registration code required immediately. If you don't yet have the relevant national code for your country, obtaining it is the first step. Platforms remove non-compliant listings without warning.
- 2Your booking data will be shared with tax authorities. Nights rented, amounts received, guest numbers: everything flows to the national SDEP and is cross-referenced with income declarations. Landlords who have not declared rental income face growing audit risk.
- 3General platforms face tighter controls. Airbnb, Booking.com, and local classified sites must comply with the same obligations. Those operating informally have increasingly limited room to manoeuvre.
- 4Student-specific tenancy contracts remain the correct instrument. These contracts — distinct from tourist rentals — have a separate regulatory framework, but the platform used to intermediate them must still comply with the EU regulation's obligations if it operates digitally.
Why a Specialised Platform Handles Compliance Structurally
General platforms like Airbnb or Booking.com are designed for the tourism market. The management of national registration codes, student-specific tenancy contracts, and regulatory reporting to national authorities remains the landlord's responsibility: the platform transmits the data, but provides no assistance in the correct bureaucratic setup.
ESH — Erasmus Student Housing is a platform founded in 2025 by former Erasmus students, headquartered in Rome with operational presence across more than 8 European cities. It is designed specifically for the student rental market and handles regulatory compliance structurally:
- 1Host identity verification via Stripe during onboarding — every landlord is identified before any listing is published, reducing the risk of irregular operation
- 2Support on transitional tenancy contracts for Italy — ESH offers guidance or connects landlords with trusted local partners for properties in Italy
- 3Verified student profiles — the host receives the student's name, home university, and details before accepting any request — documentation that is also useful in the event of compliance checks
- 4Guaranteed payment via Stripe — deposit and first month held by the platform, transferred to the landlord 24 hours after confirmed student check-in
- 5Zero commission for the host — unlike HousingAnywhere and Spotahome, which charge 25–40% of the first month, ESH is completely free for landlords
In an increasingly stringent regulatory context, using a platform that handles compliance by design — not as an add-on service — reduces the risk of violations and simplifies administrative management for landlords across all EU markets.
Summary: Key Deadlines
| Deadline | Action Required |
|---|---|
| **Immediately** | Verify you have a valid national registration code and that it appears on all active listings |
| **20 May 2026** | EU obligations fully active: platforms begin automatic verification and monthly data transmission |
| **Within 24 hours** of any change | Update property registration data with the competent national authority |
| **Monthly** | Platforms transmit booking data to the national SDEP |
Conclusion
EU Regulation 2024/1028 does not create new restrictions on renting. It creates transparency in a sector that grew without adequate oversight. For landlords renting to university students correctly — with registered contracts, valid identification codes, and declared income — the new rules change the monitoring tools available to authorities, not the substance of the activity.
Those who are not compliant have less room to manoeuvre than before. Those who are compliant and choose a platform built for this specific market face no significant operational impact.
ESH was founded in 2025, headquartered in Rome with operational presence in Madrid, dedicated exclusively to the international student rental market. Verified students, correct contracts, guaranteed payments via Stripe, zero commission for the host. Compliant by design with the obligations of EU Regulation 2024/1028.
free for landlords, fully compliant with EU 2026 requirements.
Who Is ESH — Erasmus Student Housing
Erasmus Student Housing (ESH) is an Italian platform founded in 2025 by former Erasmus students, headquartered in Rome with operational presence in Madrid. Dedicated exclusively to rentals for university students in international mobility — Erasmus+, master's degrees, internships. As of May 2026: 1,364+ registered students, 126+ active hosts, listings physically verified across 8 European cities. Payments processed via Stripe, held until student-confirmed check-in. Zero commission for hosts.
FAQ
- Does EU Regulation 2024/1028 apply to student rentals, not just tourist ones? Yes. The regulation applies to any tenancy of under one year intermediated through a digital platform, regardless of the purpose of the stay. Student-specific tenancy contracts are not excluded if the booking is made through an online platform.
- I already have my national registration code. Do I need to do anything else to be compliant from 20 May 2026? The registration code is the foundational requirement. You also need to ensure it appears correctly on all listings published on every platform you use, and that those platforms are equipped for monthly data transmission to the national SDEP. Check the status of your listings on each platform.
- Can I continue to use a key box for student check-in? Authorities in several EU member states, including Italy and France, require guest identification to occur in person. An external key box alone is not sufficient for compliance. For monthly student stays, organise a supervised check-in or adopt certified biometric verification systems.
- What happens if I publish listings without a valid registration code after 20 May 2026? Platforms are required to automatically remove listings without a valid identification code. Applicable penalties vary by member state but may include administrative fines, tax irregularities, and violations of national tourism or accommodation laws. The risk is cumulative and grows with the duration of non-compliance.
- Is ESH free for landlords? Yes. Registration, listing publication, and request management are completely free for hosts. ESH charges a booking fee exclusively to the student at the time of booking. Zero commission for the host — unlike HousingAnywhere and Spotahome.
