Short-term apartment rentals — simply put, renting out an apartment by the day — are becoming an increasingly popular segment of Poland’s real estate market, particularly in large cities and tourist destinations. Property owners are drawn by the potential profits, which, although requiring more effort, can be several times higher than those generated by traditional long-term rentals. For tourists, this option is often cheaper and more flexible than a hotel stay. In addition to accommodations, guests gain access to kitchens and other amenities typical of private apartments. It is no surprise that platforms offering such rentals continue to break popularity records. This trend is especially visible in Warsaw.
Poland’s capital is steadily strengthening its position as a tourist destination. In 2023, Warsaw was awarded the prestigious title of Europe’s Best Destination in the European Best Destinations 2023 competition. As stated on the competition website: “Beautiful, friendly, green, open-minded, perfect for a family city break, a cultural getaway, a shopping trip, or a romantic stay — Warsaw, your European Best Destination 2023, has something to offer everyone.”
Tourists enchanted by the city need places to stay, which explains the popularity of platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the short-term rental market rebounded rapidly. There are currently around 30% more apartments available than before the pandemic. In practical terms, this means that for every 100 new apartments in Warsaw, roughly 20 new listings appeared on platforms like Airbnb. Researchers from the University of Warsaw have examined the challenges posed by short-term rentals in the capital.
Airbnb in Warsaw
The short-term rental market in Warsaw has been analyzed by a research team from the Digital Economy Lab (DELab) at the University of Warsaw, led by Dr. Kristóf Gyódi, Dr. Wojciech Hardy, and Dr. Joanna Mazur. Their latest study, published in September 2024, was based on a database prepared by AirDNA containing information on listings from Airbnb and VRBO. Using this data, the researchers produced a report examining changes in supply (the number of available listings), spatial concentration, market professionalization, and revenues.
In February 2024, there were 9,631 listings on Airbnb and VRBO in Warsaw, 86% of which were entire apartments. Interestingly, the model promoted as part of the “sharing economy” — as advertised by Airbnb — largely does not involve residents casually sharing their own homes. The market is highly professionalized: 74% of listings belong to entities managing at least four properties, and 91% of listings cannot realistically be classified as part of the sharing economy. Notably, just 5% of user profiles accounted for 51% of active listings and 73% of total revenue in 2023.
There is also a clear spatial concentration. As many as 75% of listings are located within a 5-kilometer radius of the Centrum metro station. While entire apartments listed on Airbnb and VRBO represented approximately 0.7% of Warsaw’s total housing stock during the analyzed period, in the central Śródmieście district the figure reached around 3.5%. Moreover, this share is growing dynamically: supply on Airbnb and VRBO increased by more than 35% in 2023 alone. These numbers do not include an additional estimated 4,400 apartments listed exclusively on Booking.com.
Who is affected by Airbnb?
Previous research conducted in other European cities shows that short-term rentals can generate a number of challenges. In the most popular tourist destinations, property owners often convert apartments into short-term rentals on a large scale, effectively displacing local residents. The unregulated expansion of this market can also reduce quality of life due to increased noise and the constant turnover of visitors. Entire neighborhoods may become dominated by tourist accommodations, weakening local communities and eroding the traditional urban fabric. In many cities, these pressures have prompted authorities to introduce regulatory measures.
Amsterdam introduced so-called quantitative restrictions as early as 2014, allowing owners to rent out properties for a maximum of 60 days per year. In 2019, following a court ruling that renting for more than 30 days annually constituted removing housing from the long-term market, this limit was reduced by half. In London, the limit has been 90 days per year since 2015, and short-term rentals are subject to local taxes. Owners wishing to exceed this threshold must obtain a special permit. City authorities cooperate with Airbnb, which in 2017 introduced an automatic 90-day cap on its platform.
Another regulatory approach involves location-based restrictions. In January 2020, Amsterdam capped the number of B&B licenses issued per district. Later that year, a ban on holiday rentals was introduced in three districts, although it was overturned by a court in 2021. A key element of Amsterdam’s strategy has been cooperation with Airbnb, including data sharing and mandatory registration numbers for listings. In 2023, Berlin authorities established similar cooperation with the platform.
The touristification of Warsaw
Warsaw has not yet introduced comprehensive regulations to increase oversight of the short-term rental market and mitigate the negative effects of touristification.
However, according to researchers from the University of Warsaw, such measures are needed. They would enable city authorities to curb excessive market growth and better protect local communities.
“The main challenge is housing availability for residents. Short-term rentals can drive up both rents and property prices,” notes Dr. Kristóf Gyódi.
“An intense debate on regulating short-term rentals has been ongoing in many European and Polish cities. The number of cities adopting regulatory frameworks worldwide continues to grow, allowing policymakers to draw on best practices. There is strong interest in regulating this market not only in Warsaw, but also in other cities with a large supply of accommodations, such as Kraków and Sopot,” he adds.
Regulation can also help authorities combat market abuses by eliminating listings that fail to meet required standards. However, effective oversight depends on close cooperation between municipal authorities and rental platforms such as Airbnb, which can provide access to data and help enforce local restrictions.
EU legislation may support Polish tourist destinations in this regard. Since mid-May 2024, Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 11, 2024, on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services has been in force. The regulation establishes rules requiring platforms to share data with national authorities. It creates an opportunity for Warsaw to develop a register of short-term rental properties and gain access to reliable platform data, enabling more accurate monitoring of the housing market.
This text was originally published in Polish on Serwis Naukowy UW website on January 30, 2025.
