Norway short-term rental regulation developments

In Tromsø, short-term rental operators have reported a 10 to 15 percent decrease in managed units, a decline attributed to regulatory uncertainty and what Lasse Vebostad of Tromsø Rental Hub calls ‘Airbnb-shame’. To address the issue, Tromsø Municipality has utilized 2 million NOK in state funding to establish a project group aimed at identifying illegal commercial rentals and increasing housing availability for the permanent market. Local representatives have noted that existing planning and building laws are insufficient for managing modern short-term rental scales.

On a national level, Norway’s Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Bjørnar Skjæran, announced that the government is developing a legislative proposal to regulate short-term rentals. This follows investigations into “shadow hotels” where residential buildings are used for professional rental operations. The proposed rules, which may include the power for municipalities to prohibit short-term rentals in specific areas, are expected to undergo public consultation this autumn.