Short-Term Rental Rules in Latvia After the 2026 Tourism Law Changes
Amendments to Latvia's Tourism Law, adopted on 11 June 2026 and in force since 10 July 2026, broadened the definition of tourist accommodation. Short-term rental apartments, holiday cottages and summer houses offered through online platforms now fall under it.
The new definition
A tourist accommodation is a publicly bookable group of residential rooms, part of a building, a building, a group of buildings or an equipped site where a natural or legal person provides overnight accommodation for tourists. The explanatory note names platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, ss.com and Facebook.
Obligations that now apply to hosts
- Foreign-guest declarations and identity checks (Cabinet Reg. No. 226).
- Statistical reporting on accommodated guests.
- Fire-safety and building requirements.
- Copyright rules (e.g. TV/music in rooms), food-service and alcohol-sale rules where relevant.
- Choosing the correct tax regime.
What did not change
The amendments did not create a separate licence or registration number for short-term rentals. The PTAC tourism-provider register covers tour operators and agents, not accommodation hosts. Separately, the EU Short-Term Rental Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 lets member states introduce registration schemes, so check whether your municipality has one.
Checklist for hosts
- Set up a declaration workflow for foreign guests.
- Check fire safety: detectors, extinguisher, escape plan.
- Confirm your tax status with VID.
- Update your house rules and privacy notice.
- Keep records for one year and delete them afterwards.
Official sources
- LV portāls: short-term rentals must report guest data
- Amendments to the Tourism Law (Latvijas Vēstnesis)
- Your Europe: short-term accommodation rules
Last reviewed 29 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Check the linked official sources for your case.