The number of Airbnb properties in Romania has increased by 60% in a year. What is the situation in other European cities, and what impact are these properties having on the real estate market?

Saturday, Jan 24, 2026

HotNews

Bucharest sees rising Airbnb rentals; compares local situation to European overtourism issues.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

In 2024, 18,000 residential units were registered with ANAF as apartments for rent on platforms like Booking or Airbnb, representing a 60% increase from the previous year, although this number is not comparable to cities facing overtourism protests. The article details instances in Bucharest where entire buildings have been converted into tourist accommodations, leading to issues such as noise disturbances from tourists. Officially, 2,055 apartments in Bucharest are registered for tourist rentals, while nationally, 18,288 individuals reported income from these rentals in 2024. While the situation is not yet comparable to major European cities like Barcelona experiencing mass tourism protests, other locations such as Salzburg and Prague also have significant numbers of short-term rentals, many without proper authorization. An analyst suggests that while Airbnb units are concentrated in central areas of Bucharest, the current housing market rental prices are not significantly affected due to ongoing construction and a lack of intense tourism compared to other European destinations.

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