Short-term rentals in Poland: the Sejm bill on bans and city zones
Short answer: The Sejm passed the short-term rental bill on 8 October 2026. It would let communities ban rentals and cities set zones, mostly from 1 January 2028, if the Senate and President approve.
Poland's Sejm has passed a bill that would let residents, housing communities and city councils restrict short-term rentals of the Airbnb type. It is not law yet. The Sejm passed it on Thursday 8 October 2026, and the Senate now takes it up, after which it goes to the President. This guide covers what the Ministry of Sport and Tourism says the bill does, for tenants, owners and anyone who rents out a flat. Status as of 15 October 2026.
What the bill is
It is an amendment to the act on hotel services and on the services of tour guides and tour pilots, submitted by the Minister of Sport and Tourism. According to the ministry, the aim is to give residents, communities and cooperatives more say over short-term rentals in their immediate surroundings. The ministry points to noise, disturbed night-time quiet and other behaviour that harms public order and the sense of safety. It also says the rules are meant to give businesses that offer short-term rentals time to adjust.
* Photos: "Cracovia (Polonia) Kraków (Polska)" (Wikimedia Commons, CC0) and "Graniczna Street, block of flats. Tomaszów Mazowiecki" (Wikimedia Commons, public domain).
The four main solutions
The ministry lists these as the most important points of the bill:
1. Building-level ban. A housing community (wspólnota) or housing cooperative (spółdzielnia) will be able to pass a resolution banning short-term rental services in its property. Votes follow the rules each body already uses. In a cooperative a majority of more than 50% of those entitled to vote is required. After a ban is adopted, a business renting out a flat will have 6 months to end the activity in that building. 2. Requests for inspection. Communities, cooperatives and people living in the same or a neighbouring property will be able to ask for an inspection of the rental, including on safety and public order. The ministry names repeated noise and night-time disturbance as examples. 3. Removal from the register after three violations. If within 6 months the competent services or authorities find 3 violations concerning safety or public order, the local government will have to remove the property from the register of places that provide hotel services. 4. City zones. A municipal council, at the request of the mayor, will be able to set zones where short-term rental is restricted or banned. A ban can cover specific areas, buildings or periods. The ministry gives the example of limiting rentals only in the most tourist-heavy parts of a city, or only on certain days of the year.
When it would apply
According to the ministry, most of the provisions are to enter into force 14 days after publication in the Journal of Laws. The rules that let communities and cooperatives ban short-term rental, and that let municipalities create ban zones, are to start on 1 January 2028. None of this applies until the Senate has dealt with the bill, the President has signed it and it has been published. The Senate can still introduce amendments, so the final text may differ.
What it means in practice
- If you rent a flat long term: the bill is about short-term rental services. A normal long-term lease is not described as affected in the ministry's summary. Read your own contract and your building's rules for anything specific.
- If you own a flat and rent it to tourists: watch whether your community or cooperative puts a ban on its agenda after 1 January 2028, and whether your city plans zones. The 6-month wind-down applies after a ban resolution.
- If you live next to a short-term rental: the bill would give you a formal way to ask for an inspection, and the three-violations rule would lead to removal from the register.
- If you are a guest: expect more local limits in busy tourist areas once zones appear. Check that a listing is a registered place of accommodation.
Check the Senate and Journal of Laws announcements for the final text before you act. This guide is general information and not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is the short-term rental ban already law in Poland?
No. As of 15 October 2026 the Sejm has passed the bill and the Senate has started work on it. It still needs the President's signature and publication.
When could a building ban short-term rentals?
According to the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, the right of communities and cooperatives to ban it starts on 1 January 2028. A business then has 6 months to end rentals in that building.
What happens after three violations?
Under the bill, if the authorities find 3 violations of safety or public order within 6 months, the local government must remove the property from the register of places providing hotel services.
Can a city ban short-term rental?
The bill lets a municipal council, at the request of the mayor, create zones where short-term rental is restricted or banned. They can apply to certain areas, buildings or periods. This also starts on 1 January 2028.
