Renting an apartment in Berlin through Airbnb
The most important questions

In Berlin, you may only rent your apartment through Airbnb with permission or by reporting it to the district office – renting out apartments as a holiday rental is generally prohibited. There are three options: individual rooms up to 49 percent of your main apartment, the entire main apartment with permission, which is usually granted if you rent out during your absence and the apartment remains your main apartment, as well as a secondary apartment for up to 90 days per year. This also applies to owner-occupied apartments. An apartment that no one actually lives in is generally not eligible for approval as a permanent holiday rental. GreatStay Co-Hosting will check before starting which option is suitable for your apartment. The official rules for Airbnb in Berlin can be found at Senate Department.

The Berlin Eviction Act – officially the Eviction Prohibition Act, or ZwVbG for short – protects residential space from being used for purposes other than living, such as holiday apartments, through vacancy or demolition. It came into force on December 12, 2013, and since 2014 the renting of private residential units to tourists in Berlin is only possible with permission. The background is the shortage of housing: every holiday apartment is unavailable on the regular rental market. Since May 2018, the law explicitly recognizes the temporary renting of one’s main or secondary residence. The responsibility lies with the housing offices of the twelve districts.

A Berlin side apartment – colloquially called a second home – may be rented out as a holiday home for a maximum of 90 days per year with permission. However, this permission is only available if you do not have a main home or any other side apartments in Berlin – practically for owners who live outside Berlin. The application costs 150 euros at the Mitte district office; the permission is granted for one year, and with it you receive the registration number. For your own main home, the district office determines the number of days in the individual case in the permission.

Yes, without permission – as long as the rented space does not exceed 49 percent of your own main residence in Berlin. The kitchen and bathroom are counted as half each. In the case of an apartment with 80 square meters, the limit is therefore around 39 square meters – kitchen and bathroom counted separately. You still need a registration number: you will receive it after a free advertisement with the relevant district office. If the area exceeds this, a permit is required; at the Mitte district office, the application for the main residence costs 100 euros.

Yes. Since August 1, 2018, every holiday home offered in Berlin must include a registration number in the ad. You will receive it from the district office, together with the approval or after the ad – this is how you register your holiday home in Berlin. Since May 20, 2026, the EU regulation on short-term rentals also applies, requiring platforms to report data about a uniform digital location to the authorities. The new digital Berlin procurement procedure was launched in October 2026. Existing registration numbers will be automatically converted according to previous feedback.

The penalty for renting an Airbnb without permission in Berlin is a fine – a legal offense, but expensive: Depending on the violation, up to 500,000 euros can be imposed; for other offenses such as failure to register, up to 250,000 euros. According to the guidelines of the Senate Department for 2026, for each apartment without a registration number, 1,000 euros will be charged initially, and 2,000 euros in the event of repeated offenses. In addition, the Senate tightened the law in February: Online portals will no longer be allowed to publish listings without a registration number in the future.

GreatStay Co-Hosting in Berlin takes over complete rental Your apartment on Airbnb and Booking.com: Listing with professional photos, pricing, guest communication, check-in, cleaning and laundry, as well as support with permits and registration numbers. Individual services cannot be booked separately.

GreatStay Co-Hosting works on a commission basis. You will receive a non-binding offer after the initial conversation. The costs for landlords on Airbnb also include the platform’s service fee – how this is distributed between guest and host depends on the chosen fee model. In addition, there are one-time administrative fees: in the Mitte district office, the application for a main apartment costs 100 euros, for a secondary apartment 150 euros.

GreatStay Co-Hosting organizes the final cleaning of your vacation rental after each stay with its own team, including laundry, refills of consumables, and inspection of the equipment. The cost of the final cleaning is usually borne by the guest through the cleaning fee indicated in the ad. There is usually a few hours between two stays; we plan accordingly for check-out and check-in times. Cleaning is not available for individual bookings – it is Part of the administration.

The start with GreatStay Co-Hosting has four steps: initial consultation and tour, verification of approval and registration number, professional photos and advertisement, then the first bookings. You should plan in advance with the authorities: the length of time it takes to obtain a registration number varies from district to district. Once the number is available, your advertisement can go online.

In Berlin, the overnight stay tax, the so-called City Tax, amounts to 7.5 percent of the net fee; it is due by the accommodation provider, i.e., the landlord. The rate has been in effect since January 1, 2025; from 2026, the tax will be reported electronically only quarterly and centrally, and the Marzahn-Hellersdorf tax office is responsible. The previous exception for stays of more than 21 days has been eliminated since 2025.

The built-in Airbnb insurance is called AirCover for Hosts: it covers protection against property damage up to three million US dollars and liability insurance up to one million US dollars. However, AirCover only applies to stays through Airbnb and has exclusions – it is therefore advisable to additionally have insurance that explicitly covers short-term rentals. Also, notify your building and home contents insurance that the apartment is being rented out to holiday guests. GreatStay Co-Hosting documents damage after each stay with photos and reports them directly.

Airbnb verifies the identity of guests – including names, addresses, and official identification documents – and analyzes each booking request to block bookings with a high risk of parties and property damage. GreatStay Co-Hosting adds its own rules: a binding house rules, a ban on parties and events, and a personal or controlled check-in.

Income from the rental of a holiday home is subject to income tax in Germany. Unlike long-term rentals, short-term rentals to holidaymakers are also generally subject to sales tax, at the reduced rate of 7 percent. Those who did not generate more than 25,000 euros in revenue in the previous year are exempt as small entrepreneurs. The details depend on your situation – consult your tax advisor.

Status: October 2026. This page does not replace legal or tax advice. The information provided by the Berlin district offices is binding.