Following an extensive public consultation, during which the Ministry of Economy, Tourism, and Sport received more than 450 comments, the government has adopted a Hospitality Industry Bill. The bill introduces significant changes to short-term apartment rentals, raising concerns about the future of private accommodation for tourists.
On March 13, 2025, the government adopted a Hospitality Industry Bill (»ZGos-1«), which has already sparked controversy over proposed restrictions on short-term rentals. The bill is now before the National Assembly, where it will proceed through the regular legislative process.
ZGos-1 is intended to replace the currently applicable Hospitality Industry Act (»ZGos«), which lacks clear regulations on short-term apartment rentals. Under the current ZGos, an accommodation provider is defined as any natural person, sole proprietor, association, or legal entity offering accommodation, with or without breakfast, to guests in their own or rented apartment or holiday home. With the approval of the competent local authority, an accommodation provider may also offer lodging in other types of premises. A natural person may qualify as an accommodation provider if they: (i) engage in the activity only occasionally, for no more than five months in a calendar year; (ii) offer up to 15 beds to guests; and (iii) are registered in the Slovenian Business Register.
The ZGos-1 bill introduces stricter regulations on short-term apartment rentals, as the government argues that the sector’s growth directly impacts housing availability for residents. The bill seeks to counteract the recent trend of apartments being withdrawn from the long-term rental market. While short-term rentals are generally more profitable for owners, they also have negative side effects, such as squeezing the supply of long-term rental properties and driving up rental prices.
The bill sets a general time limit for short-term rentals at 60 days per year for apartments in multi-unit buildings and 150 days per year for rentals in single- or two-unit buildings. Furthermore, the ZGos-1 bill restricts the number of guests per apartment, requiring each guest to be allocated at least eight square meters of usable accommodation space. Additionally, a maximum of 15 guests may stay at a single- or two-unit building at any given time, while apartments in buildings with three or more units are limited to eight guests.
As housing and tourism market conditions vary across Slovenia – a concern raised particularly by accommodation providers during the drafting process – the bill will allow municipalities to adjust the specified rental time limits. Municipalities will be permitted to set short-term rental limits ranging from 30 to 90 days per year for apartments in multi-apartment buildings, and from 30 to 180 days per year for apartments in single- and two-unit buildings. In doing so, municipalities must consider both housing market conditions and tourism needs within their jurisdiction. The time limits must be established through a bylaw, whether applied to specific areas or the entire municipality.
The bill also sets out consent requirements for short-term rentals in multi-unit buildings. To legally offer such rentals, owners must obtain the consent of co-owners representing more than three-quarters of the co-ownership share. Additionally, consent must be secured from all owners of adjacent apartments that share a wall or ceiling with the rental unit. Each consent will be valid for a maximum of three years from the date of issuance and will automatically expire upon the transfer of ownership of the apartment for which it was granted.
What about previously obtained consents from co-owners? Under ZGos-1, existing consents for short-term rental from co-owners of two-unit or multi-unit buildings will remain valid only until December 31, 2026, or for three years from the date of issuance, whichever is later.
In light of the strong public reaction to the proposed time limits on rentals and the broad discretionary powers granted to municipalities, significant amendments to ZGos-1 are expected during the legislative process. The proposed time limits on co-owner consent are particularly problematic. In multi-unit buildings, obtaining the required number of consents will already be challenging, and limiting their validity to just three years will further restrict the ability to conduct short-term rentals in such properties.