From 20 May 2026, EU Reg 2024/1028 forces platforms to verify listing registration numbers and send monthly data. Berlin and Hamburg require registration; Munich’s new ZeS starts 1 Aug 2026.
Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 applies in all Member States from 20 May 2026. It harmonises how authorities obtain data on short‑term accommodation rental services offered via platforms. It does not replace local permitting rules; cities can still require permits, caps or bans if proportionate. The Regulation matters because it finally gives authorities clean data and tools to enforce local rules across borders. ([eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1786397039677&uri=CELEX%3A32024R1028))
Key points you will encounter as a host or property manager:
- Listing registration numbers and display: Where a city or region has a registration system, the host must provide the registration number to the platform and display it in the listing. Platforms must design their interface so that a number is provided and shown if a registration regime exists. ([eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1786397039677&uri=CELEX%3A32024R1028))
- Random verification by platforms: Platforms must make reasonable efforts to check, on a random and regular basis, whether a registration procedure exists and whether supplied numbers are valid, using the national digital gateway. ([eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1786397039677&uri=CELEX%3A32024R1028))
- Monthly activity data: For units in areas listed by the Member State, platforms must transmit activity data per unit every month to the national single digital entry point, including the corresponding registration number, the unit’s specific address and the URL. Small/micro platforms (under a 4,250‑listing monthly average in the prior quarter) can report quarterly. ([eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1786397039677&uri=CELEX%3A32024R1028))
- Penalties and enforcement: Each country must set penalties that are effective and dissuasive. Germany’s federal regulator (Bundesnetzagentur) indicates that platform‑side breaches can attract fines of up to €100,000. ([eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1786397039677&uri=CELEX%3A32024R1028))
For foreign buyers, the takeaway is practical: if you cannot obtain a valid local registration number where one is required, your listing is likely to be blocked or removed after 20 May 2026, and monthly platform data will make non‑compliance easier to detect. ([eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1786397039677&uri=CELEX%3A32024R1028))
Berlin has required registration numbers in online offers since 1 August 2018. If you advertise a short‑term rental without displaying the number, or you display a false/invalid number, it is an administrative offence. The statutory maximum fine for such listing‑related offences is €250,000. For other core offences (e.g., using a dwelling for non‑residential purposes without a permit), the maximum is €500,000. ([berlin.de](https://www.berlin.de/sen/justiz/service/gesetze-und-verordnungen/2018/ausgabe-nr-10-vom-19-4-2018-s-201-216.pdf))
How the system works in practice in 2026:
- You apply for permission and a registration number with the relevant Bezirksamt. The city confirms that a legal duty to state a registration number was introduced to create transparency on platforms. ([service.berlin.de](https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/328146/?utm_source=openai))
- If you use your self‑occupied main home, up to 49% of the floor area can be guest‑room use without a permit, but you must make the required notification and obtain the registration number for that use. ([service.berlin.de](https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/326217/?utm_source=openai))
- If you use a Berlin secondary home (Nebenwohnung), authorities typically only recognise a legitimate private interest for up to 90 days per year; beyond that, permission is generally refused. ([service.berlin.de](https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/328146/?utm_source=openai))
The Senate administration updated guidance in 2026 to align enforcement with the EU Regulation; Berlin emphasises that the registration‑number duty exists to make offers traceable on platforms. Expect closer cooperation with platforms once monthly activity data begins flowing from 20 May 2026. ([berlin.de](https://www.berlin.de/sen/wohnen/_assets/rechtliches/durchfuehrung-des-zweckentfremdungsverbot-gesetzes-mitteilung-1-2026_neufassung-der-bussgeld-rahmenbetraege.pdf?ts=1773651250&utm_source=openai))
Risk note: fines at the upper end are not theoretical. Berlin’s enforcement practice includes automated online checks and court‑backed data requests to platforms; non‑compliance can result in removal orders and escalating penalties. Obtain local legal advice before purchasing an apartment for STR in Berlin. ([berlin.de](https://www.berlin.de/gerichte/verwaltungsgericht/presse/pressemitteilungen/2021/pressemitteilung.1099345.php?utm_source=openai))
Hamburg requires a Wohnraumschutznummer (housing‑protection number) for advertising short‑term lets. Publishing an advert without the number, or with false details, is an offence; the city states that fines can reach up to €500,000. A primary home let for no more than eight weeks per calendar year is permit‑free, but still requires a number. ([hamburg.de](https://www.hamburg.de/service/info/111293529/n0/?utm_source=openai))
Operational points for 2026:
- Registration and reporting: Hamburg’s service portal explains the duty to obtain a number and, unless the platform supplies occupancy data under the EU regime, to report each handover to the district office by the end of the month following the start of each stay. ([serviceportal.gemeinsamonline.de](https://serviceportal.gemeinsamonline.de/Onlinedienste/Service/Entry/AFM_WRSreg?utm_source=openai))
- Number format change in 2026: Hamburg updated numbers issued from May 2026 by adding “DEU” and the municipal code 02000000 as prefixes, aligning with EU data exchange. ([serviceportal.gemeinsamonline.de](https://serviceportal.gemeinsamonline.de/Onlinedienste/Service/Entry/AFM_WRSreg?utm_source=openai))
- Long‑standing registration duty: the registration obligation for advertising short‑term lets has existed since 2019 and continues under the EU framework. ([hamburg.de](https://www.hamburg.de/politik-und-verwaltung/behoerden/behoerde-fuer-stadtentwicklung-und-wohnen/aktuelles/pressemeldungen/2019-03-11-bsw-registierungspflicht-wohnungen-514904?utm_source=openai))
- Law basis: the duty to display the number in adverts and to report stays is anchored in §13 HmbWoSchG and its implementing guidance. EU Regulation 2024/1028 is now referenced directly in Hamburg’s enforcement catalogue. ([umwelt-online.de](https://www.umwelt-online.de/regelwerk/bau/laender/hh/woschg.htm?utm_source=openai))
Investor takeaway: in Hamburg you must budget time for obtaining the number and for post‑stay reporting workflows (or ensure your platform transmits the required data under the EU rules from 20 May 2026). ([eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1786397039677&uri=CELEX%3A32024R1028))
Munich’s new Zweckentfremdungssatzung (ZeS) was decided on 1 July 2026 and takes effect from 1 August 2026. It defines short‑term guest accommodation as a form of Zweckentfremdung when a dwelling is used for that purpose for more than eight weeks per calendar year. Using a unit for non‑residential purposes without a permit can attract fines up to €500,000; specific breaches of the registration‑number obligations carry fines up to €50,000. ([stadt.muenchen.de](https://stadt.muenchen.de/rathaus/stadtrecht/vorschrift/970/version2/0.html))
Importantly, §5a ZeS establishes a registration procedure for short‑term offers shown on online platforms, implemented on the basis of Bavaria’s enabling law and the directly applicable EU Regulation 2024/1028. Expect platforms to require a Munich registration number for listings of Munich addresses after 1 August 2026. ([stadt.muenchen.de](https://stadt.muenchen.de/rathaus/stadtrecht/vorschrift/970/version2/0.html))
For investors comparing cities: Berlin’s rules hinge on permit scope, 49% guest‑room use in a main home and a 90‑day practice for secondary homes; Hamburg centres on the Wohnraumschutznummer plus stay‑by‑stay reporting; Munich now codifies an eight‑week threshold and introduces its own registration procedure aligned with EU data‑sharing. Local counsel should review your intended use case before exchange of contracts. ([service.berlin.de](https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/326217/?utm_source=openai))
- Before signing: ask local counsel whether a permit is realistically available for your address and use case; assume that platforms will require a city registration number after 20 May 2026 (Munich from 1 August 2026).
- Budget compliance time: Berlin and Hamburg issue registration numbers via district offices; Hamburg also requires stay‑by‑stay reporting unless your platform transmits data under EU rules. ([service.berlin.de](https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/328146/?utm_source=openai))
- Configure platforms: ensure your listing displays the correct registration number and address. In Berlin, failing to display the number can lead to fines up to €250,000; Munich sets €50,000 for registration breaches. ([berlin.de](https://www.berlin.de/sen/justiz/service/gesetze-und-verordnungen/2018/ausgabe-nr-10-vom-19-4-2018-s-201-216.pdf))
- Keep records: the EU framework envisages retention of registration data during the number’s validity and up to 18 months after removal; expect verification requests. ([eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1786397039677&uri=CELEX%3A32024R1028))
- Taxes remain separate: local registration has no effect on occupancy taxes or income tax/VAT. Ask a German tax adviser for your specific situation.
Nothing on this page is investment, tax or legal advice. Price bands are indicative asking prices and disagree between sources by design. Verify every figure with a qualified German notary, tax adviser (Steuerberater) or lawyer before committing capital.
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