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Airbnb and Booking after the 2026 elections: what a new coalition could change
A 60-day limit, tougher inspections or higher accommodation fees. We compare Prague politicians’ proposals and their implications for your business, including what to watch during coalition talks and what to prepare now.
Tougher inspections have cross-party support. Night limits remain undecided.
Whole apartments offered year-round in residential buildings deserve particular attention, especially in central Prague. Several politicians distinguish this model from letting your own home while on holiday or offering a spare room where you live.
For you, the substance of a proposal matters more than a campaign label of being “for Airbnb” or “against Airbnb”. Aligning requirements with hotels, raising the local fee and imposing a 60-day limit each mean something different. Even representatives of the same electoral alliance may disagree.
Prepare for inspections even without a new night limit.
Stronger enforcement is of the clearest common themes in the published proposals. ODS in Prague 1 promises more inspections and cooperation between authorities. The Pirates in Prague 2 want action against illegal accommodation, and Prague 1 calls for verification of operators and cross-checking platform data. We examine the proposals and sources below. The actual number and scope of inspections are not confirmed, but waiting for an annual limit before getting your records in order would be an unnecessary risk.
Take real booking: can you find the guests, stay dates, reports, local fee and supporting records? Do you also have documents showing that you may use the premises this way? Gaps between bookings, records and permission to operate are worth addressing now.
What individual politicians propose
STAN: Hlaváček supports regulation, without specifying a day limit.
On 6 October, Petr Hlaváček answered “one hundred per cent” when asked whether he supported regulation of short-term rentals. STAN’s victory therefore does not signal that the city intends to leave things unchanged. However, his answer did not specify a limit or how to introduce it. Source: CNN Prima NEWS, 6 October.
In September, Hlaváček distinguished occasional letting of your own home from effectively turning residential buildings into hotels. That distinction matters if you operate several apartments year-round. His statement did not explain how occasional and accommodation would be separated in law. Source: Echo24, 7 September.
ODS: Portlík wants requirements aligned with hotels.
Tomáš Portlík stresses a level playing field for accommodation businesses. He wants requirements for short-term accommodation brought closer to those for other accommodation facilities, while rejecting restrictions on business. He has not presented a specific list of requirements. Source: Echo24, 7 September.
It matters to you whether alignment would mainly mean records and inspections, or also building and safety alterations. A lawfully operated apartment may already be closer to such a regime than an ordinary home designated for residential use. Without a concrete proposal, the costs cannot be calculated.
ODS in Prague 1 is more specific: it wants stronger inspections of short-term accommodation, legal and practical guidance for apartment owners’ associations (SVJ), and cooperation between building, trade licensing and other authorities. Support for business therefore does not mean authorities will stop investigating neighbours’ complaints. Source: ODS Prague 1 programme.
TOP 09: municipal powers and a fee ceiling of CZK 100.
Prague’s SPOLU alliance consists of ODS and TOP 09. For TOP 09, Michal Zuna is co-sponsoring regulatory proposals and advocates raising the statutory ceiling on the local accommodation fee from CZK 50 to CZK 100. He cites the costs tourism creates for municipalities. Raising the ceiling alone would not create a uniform rate in every town. Source: TOP 09.
In the Chamber of Deputies, Zuna described allowing municipalities to set periods, numbers of days and the extent of short-term accommodation according to local conditions. Alongside Prague, he mentions spa towns, mountain resorts and other places with heavy tourist traffic. This proposes municipal powers, not nationwide limit. Source: Chamber of Deputies, 27 May.
Praha sobě: Scheinherr proposes 60 days a year.
In an interview on 4 October, Adam Scheinherr outlined a specific approach: cities should be able to limit short-term rentals to 60 days per year. He gives letting your apartment while on holiday or renting a spare room as acceptable examples. He wants the decision left to each city. Source: CNN Prima NEWS interview.
If you lease an apartment for a fixed monthly rent and then offer it to guests, an annual limit could overturn your business model. Better photographs, higher occupancy and automated messages cannot replace nights you would not be allowed to sell.
Pirates: platform data, enforcement and higher taxes on buildings.
The Pirates include Airbnb regulation in their affordable housing programme. They want platform data and higher taxation of residential buildings left empty long-term or used entirely for tourists. Adam Zábranský is responsible for this programme item. A proposal targeting whole buildings should not automatically be applied to every owner of a single apartment. Source: Pirates’ programme.
In Prague 2, they want to use data available through the Czech system, prohibit short-term accommodation in municipal apartments and act against illegal operators. They also make this approach a condition of joining the district council’s governing executive. A campaign promise could therefore become a coalition agreement clause. Source: Prague 2 Pirates’ programme.
ANO: Hušbauer’s answers contradict each other.
In September, Jan Hušbauer proposed mandatory registration, a day limit for whole apartments and the strictest regime in the centre. In October’s questionnaire, he rejected support for regulation. The published answers do not explain the difference. Classifying ANO as unambiguously for or against restrictions would therefore be inaccurate. September answer and October answer.
A written commitment from the new coalition and a subsequent legislative proposal will carry more weight for your operation than questionnaire answer, especially when the same politician’s statements differ within a few weeks.
Who could get proposals adopted
STAN and SPOLU each won 17 seats, Praha sobě 13, ANO 11 and the Pirates 7. Hlaváček wants an agreement during November. Portlík describes STAN as the closest partner and wants to avoid continuing cooperation with the Pirates. The strongest public signals currently point towards a coalition centred on STAN and SPOLU, potentially with another partner. Source: ČTK, 11 October.
STAN and SPOLU together have 34 votes; STAN, Praha sobě and the Pirates have 37. Seat totals alone do not guarantee an agreement.
| Possible coalition | Votes | Possible implications for your operation |
|---|---|---|
| STAN + SPOLU | 34 | Emphasis on inspections and equal requirements. Hlaváček still supports regulation; do not expect every limit to be rejected automatically. |
| STAN + SPOLU + Praha sobě | 47 | A more stable majority and greater pressure for local restrictions. A specific day limit would need to be included in the coalition agreement. |
| STAN + Praha sobě + Piráti | 37 | The strongest combined pressure to limit year-round accommodation in apartments, use data and enforce rules. |
| STAN + SPOLU + Piráti | 41 | Inspections, data and taxation. Portlík’s statements suggest this format is less likely. |
The implications in this table are our assessment of published positions, not an announced coalition agreement. Allocation of responsibility for housing, legislation and tourism, the budget and support for legislative changes will also matter.
Look for specific wording in the coalition agreement. “We will support responsible tourism” tells you little when planning next season. A commitment to prepare local restrictions, strengthen inspections or propose a new local fee rate tells you much more.
Prague 1 could push for a stricter approach
City Hall is not the level you need to watch. Praha 1 sobě won in Prague 1 with seven seats. In its 27-member assembly, a coalition needs at least 14 votes. The result alone does not determine who will govern. Source: Prague 1 results.
The winning Praha 1 sobě and Greens ticket wants to end short-term accommodation in district-managed apartments, limit the number of apartments used for accommodation, raise fees and introduce enforceable penalties. Its published programme does not specify how permissions would be allocated or how existing operators would transition. Source: Praha 1 sobě and Greens programme.
Prague 1’s demands predate the election. Its assembly wants eTurista to allow verification of the owner, operator, legal basis for use and suitability of the premises. It also wants platforms to verify registration numbers and their data checked against reported stays. Mayor Terezie Radoměřská warned that registration alone must not legitimise unsuitable use of an apartment. Source: Prague 1 statement.
Prague 1 also proposes allowing a local accommodation fee of up to CZK 200 per person per night. This is a request to change the law, not a new applicable rate. The difference from TOP 09’s CZK 100 ceiling proposal shows that agreement on a “higher fee” still does not tell you the amount.
National legislation and eTurista
Municipal elections do not change the national government or Chamber of Deputies. A new city executive can advocate legislative changes and use existing powers, but cannot simply introduce every restriction promised in a campaign. Passing a law, a municipal decision and a rule taking effect are separate steps.
Bills 106 and 107 are before the Chamber of Deputies. The broader bill addresses eTurista and related duties; the narrower proposal focuses on local regulation. Both are proposed for the agenda of the session starting 13 October 2026. Inclusion in a proposed agenda does not guarantee debate or adoption. Bill 106 and bill 107.
The government opposes the broader proposal but acknowledges the need for a register. Among other things, it wants access for the Financial Administration and the transfer of valid data to the police resolved. It takes a neutral position on the narrower bill 107. Rejection of version of a law therefore does not promise fewer inspections. Source: government position on bill 106.
A newer Ministry for Regional Development (MMR) proposal from September suggests an effective date in 2028. That year is not a final date for all changes, because other versions are being considered simultaneously. MMR’s current webpage states that Czechia is not yet applying the registration procedure under the European regulation. Newer MMR proposal and current ministry information.
What this means for your operation
Do not assume every proposal affects every accommodation business equally. An annual limit could be crucial for an apartment with guests continually changing in a residential building. For a properly authorised guesthouse, new records and fees may matter more. The final legislation must determine the precise scope.
Whole apartment offered year-round
Watch day limits, the definition of apartments in residential buildings and permitted use. Before entering another long lease, run the numbers with substantially fewer saleable nights as well.
Your own home or a spare room
Some leaders support occasional home-sharing, but specific exemptions are not agreed. Watch whether residence, number of days, part of the apartment or another condition will determine eligibility.
Switching from Airbnb to Booking does not solve the problem by itself. The proposals address the activity and intermediation generally. For apartment listed across several platforms, do not plan a separate future allowance for each channel.
Nor should you assume that receiving a registration number resolves every other obligation. Trade licensing, permitted use of premises, records and payments to authorities serve different purposes. Software can help you retain data and outputs, but cannot make unsuitable premises an authorised accommodation business.
What if you host outside Prague?
National proposals could give your municipality regulatory powers too. For example, Český Krumlov’s Greens explicitly distinguished occasional extra income from year-round conversion of homes into tourist accommodation before the election. This demonstrates local political pressure, not a future coalition decision. Do not automatically apply the Prague scenario to Brno, spa towns or mountain municipalities. Source: Český Krumlov Greens, 2 October.
What to prepare now
Inspection readiness is the first priority. Do not wait for a new coalition agreement or eTurista to launch. Review the obligations already relevant to your business and ensure you can document compliance. Assess documents for your particular premises: a campaign statement is not a legal assessment of your apartment.
- Premises documentation: establish what you hold regarding permitted use and your right to operate the apartment.
- Traceable stays: compare bookings, guests actually accommodated and records of individual nights.
- Reports and payments: check that reports, fees and revenue documentation can be found.
- Economics under restrictions: recalculate fixed costs with fewer saleable nights, particularly for a leased apartment.
- Budget for changing operations: before investing again, consider whether a different use of the premises would make sense.
- Local documents: read the coalition agreement, proposed rules and official notices relevant to your address.
Frequently asked questions
Does Prague have a 60-day limit after the election?
Must I close next year’s calendar?
Will Booking have different rules from Airbnb?
Would a STAN–SPOLU coalition mean no regulation?
Has a CZK 100 or CZK 200 fee already been approved?
Will eTurista resolve the apartment’s suitability under building rules?
What we are watching next
We are tracking which campaign proposals enter coalition agreements and how legislation progresses. What matters for you is which accommodation is affected, when changes apply and what you must prepare. This overview reflects the position on 11 October 2026; later agreements may change the assessment.
Last checked: 11 October 2026. We distinguish party programmes and politicians’ statements from current obligations. Coalition impact estimates are our analysis. Sources accompany the relevant claims. The illustrative cover image was AI-generated and does not depict a real event.