The Government of the Republic of Croatia has released the final draft of the Croatian Hospitality Act. This is a major reform. The new act introduces new rules for landlords, hospitality businesses, and accommodation owners. Below is an overview of the key changes.
A single registration system for landlords
The act introduces a single registration procedure for short-term rentals across all of Croatia. This aligns the law with EU Regulation 2024/1028. Advertising on platforms without a valid registration number will no longer be allowed.
Landlords who deregister their activity will only be able to obtain a new permit for the same property one year after the previous permit was revoked. Failure to pay the tourist tax becomes a legal ground for revoking a permit, for both hospitality businesses and landlords.
New rules for accommodation in apartment buildings
The act removes the option to obtain permits for rooms, apartments, and studio apartments in multi-unit residential and mixed-use buildings. The goal is to protect the residential function of these buildings. This option remains available only for family houses and holiday homes.
The act also sets out criteria for distinguishing accommodation for relatives and friends from unregistered service provision.
Longer deadlines for re-categorisation, fewer rules for companies
The deadline for re-categorising hotels and campsites is extended from four to five years. A new obligation is also introduced. Other categorised accommodation facilities must undergo re-categorisation every ten years. Non-categorised facilities must have their conditions reassessed every five years.
Restaurants, bars, and catering businesses will keep their permit to continue operating under two conditions only. No more than five years may have passed since the previous permit, and operations must not have been interrupted.
Companies, meanwhile, get a break. They will no longer need to meet requirements for professional qualifications, education level, or a master craftsman exam to operate in hospitality.
Ban on energy drinks for minors
The draft introduces an explicit ban on serving and allowing the consumption of energy drinks by persons under 18. The rule mirrors the existing one for alcohol.
Stronger oversight and higher penalties
Oversight of unregistered rentals and illegal camping is extended to Customs, municipal wardens, and nature protection officers. Misdemeanour fines are significantly increased.
Other notable changes
A few additional changes are worth noting:
- Deviations from prescribed conditions for the type and category of accommodation will only be allowed for the protection of historical and cultural heritage or due to construction, utility, and installation constraints. Module surface area remains non-negotiable.
- Total accommodation capacity is limited for holders and members of family farms (OPGs) providing hospitality services in a household setting, with transition periods of five to ten years to comply.
- The entire administrative procedure will run through the integrated eTourism information system, with automatic data exchange to reduce administrative burden.
- The definition of “Host” now includes all landlords residing on the island of Pag, regardless of which local government unit they belong to.
Deadline for comments on the Croatian Hospitality Act
The deadline for submitting comments and proposals on the draft act is Thursday, 20 August 2026.
Conclusion
The new Croatian Hospitality Act brings significant changes for the tourism and hospitality sector. Short-term rentals face stricter rules, with unified registration and stronger oversight. At the same time, companies gain some relief, and deadlines for hotel and campsite re-categorisation are extended. Apartment owners lose the option to rent out rooms and apartments, while holiday homes keep that status. Landlords and hospitality businesses have until 20 August to submit comments before the act moves forward in the legislative process.