The EU’s new strategy for sustainable tourism leaves the rules for property owners and managers unchanged. It brings short-term rentals into the discussion about how destinations can manage demand when visitors are concentrated in a handful of neighbourhoods or a few months of the year. The first concrete development for the sector is expected in the second half of 2027, when the European Commission plans to present its toolkit for balanced tourism.
The strategy, presented on 4 November, leaves decisions on rental-day limits and other rules to national and local authorities. The Commission’s communication, COM(2026) 777, says the toolkit will draw on practices from Europe and elsewhere, including examples of measures for short-term rentals. The aim is to give destinations options they can adapt to local conditions.
In Greece, the distinction matters. A city dealing with visitor pressure in a few central neighbourhoods faces a different challenge from an island or mountain destination trying to attract visitors outside peak season. For destinations looking to extend their season, the Commission also emphasises transport links, which can help lesser-known places draw more visitors. For property managers, that has a practical implication. Pricing can help attract off-season bookings, but guests also need an easy way to reach the destination.
Where tourism strategy meets housing policy
In its discussion of short-term rentals, the Commission’s communication includes a footnote referring to the separate EU proposal on affordable housing. That proposal addresses restrictions in areas under housing pressure. Under the proposal, before imposing restrictions, the relevant authorities would have to show that short-term rentals significantly affect housing affordability or availability and explain why less restrictive measures would be less effective.
BnBNews has already covered the European Holiday Home Association’s position on restrictions. The EHHA argues that, before introducing a measure, authorities should assess what difference it would make to the local housing market. The tourism strategy raises a related question. How can short-term rentals fit into a destination’s plans to spread visits more evenly across neighbourhoods and throughout the year?
For property owners and managers, the next development to watch is the toolkit itself. Which measures will it include, what evidence will be used to assess them, and will the sector have a say in shaping it? Its practical value will depend on whether the examples help local authorities identify where visitor flows need managing and where the evidence points to an affordable housing problem.