The Croatian Ministry of Tourism has presented a new law proposal focused on hospitality services and tourist accommodation.
New Croatian tourism law would tighten oversight of short-term rentals and further digitalise the tourism system.
The proposal is currently open to public consultation and is expected to become one of Croatia’s main tools for tackling the grey economy and unregistered tourist rentals.
According to the proposal presented by Minister Tonči Glavina, a unified registration system for private accommodation would be introduced, along with mandatory registration numbers for all accommodation units.
The goal is to prevent unregistered apartments and holiday rentals from being advertised on booking platforms and to make the short-term rental market easier to monitor.
What would change under the new rules?
One of the biggest changes relates to the categorisation of apartments and holiday homes. Private accommodation would be required to undergo recategorisation every 10 years, while hostels, guesthouses and similar accommodation types would be reviewed every five years.
Inspection powers would also expand beyond the State Inspectorate. Customs authorities and local municipal officers would gain oversight powers as well, meaning checks during the tourist season could become far more frequent than in previous years.
Much of the administrative process would move online. Applications for categorisation, permits and other administrative procedures would be handled through a Central Registry system, which the Ministry says should reduce bureaucracy and speed up administrative processes.
The proposal also includes restrictions related to energy drinks in hospitality venues, as well as the possibility of revoking licences from accommodation providers who fail to pay tourist taxes.
The Ministry describes the law as part of a broader sustainable tourism reform and an attempt to reduce the grey economy, improve accommodation standards and better control the rapid growth of short-term rentals that has transformed many parts of the Croatian coast over the past decade.
In practice, this is likely one of the most serious attempts so far to introduce stricter regulation into Croatia’s private accommodation market, particularly along the Adriatic coast.
Over the past decade, Croatia has experienced a major boom in apartment rentals, but this growth has also been accompanied by increasing concerns about unregistered accommodation, unfair competition, inconsistent quality standards and pressure on local housing markets.
The proposed law also signals that Croatia is gradually trying to move away from a mass tourism model toward a more controlled and sustainable tourism strategy.
What would this mean for tourists in Croatia?
For most tourists, the new law is unlikely to dramatically change the travel experience itself. However, in the long term, it could lead to stricter quality control and more reliable private accommodation listings.
By reducing the number of unregistered rentals, the government hopes to ensure that accommodation listings actually match the standards they advertise. This could eventually mean fewer misleading listings, stronger oversight of accommodation quality and greater transparency when booking.
Tourists can usually recognise legal and properly registered accommodation in Croatia by the clearly displayed categorisation plaque at the entrance of the property, as well as transparent host information listed on booking platforms.
On the other hand, if a host avoids issuing receipts, asks for cash payments only without confirmation or tries to move communication outside the booking platform, that may be a sign that the accommodation is not fully compliant with regulations.
What does the new law mean for foreigners who own property in Croatia?
For foreign citizens who own apartments or holiday homes in Croatia, the proposed law is a strong signal that the country is entering a phase of stricter short-term rental regulation, similar to what many other European tourist destinations have introduced in recent years.
Property owners would need to ensure that all documentation, categorisation approvals and tourist tax obligations are up to date and fully compliant, as inspections and oversight are expected to become broader and more frequent.
Booking platforms would also no longer be allowed to advertise properties that are not properly registered, which could make operating unregistered rentals significantly more difficult than before.
For some foreign owners, this will likely mean additional administrative obligations and compliance costs. At the same time, however, legal accommodation providers may benefit in the long run if the law succeeds in reducing unfair competition from unregistered rentals that operate outside the system.
The changes also come alongside wider updates to residency and foreign worker regulations in Croatia. More about those changes can be found in our article Croatia Introduces New Rules for Foreign Workers and Residence Permits.
