Poland rental market faces lobbying scrutiny and supply shifts

Documents from the Polish Ministry of Sport and Tourism reveal that Deputy Minister Ireneusz Raś held multiple meetings with major players in the short-term rental industry between March and June 2026. Representatives from industry giants, including Airbnb and Booking.com, as well as owners of large apartment rental companies, lobbied for favorable regulations regarding the hospitality services act. Notably, following input from Airbnb’s German division, provisions that would have allowed local governments to block problematic “patho-hotels” were removed from the legislation.

Separately, data from the Otodom portal indicates shifts in the broader rental market. In July, active rental listings decreased by 2%, totaling 23,000 announcements. While new offers reached their highest level since January, they were insufficient to offset existing shortages. In academic cities, supply fluctuated significantly; Poznań saw a 29% year-on-year drop in available properties, whereas Kraków experienced a 7% increase. Despite these supply changes, average rental rates in provincial cities remained relatively stable, with a slight increase in Kielce and Wrocław, while overall rates in major cities remained near previous levels.