I-Frankfurt
You can read this article in German or English.
This article provides specific information about local laws that apply to people who host their homes in Frankfurt. Just like our country article for Germany, it’s your responsibility to verify and comply with any obligations that apply to you as a host. This article can serve as a starting point or place you can come back to if you have questions but it isn’t exhaustive and it doesn’t constitute legal or tax advice. It’s a good idea to check to make sure laws and procedures are current.
Some of the laws that might affect you are complicated. You can contact Frankfurt's building supervision department or a local attorney if you have questions.
Vacation rental regulations
The City of Frankfurt has regulations for residential spaces that are used as vacation rentals. Check Frankfurt’s holiday apartment statutes to learn more about the regulations, permit applications, and more.
Permits
Short-term rentals of living space are generally subject to a permit from the building supervision department. You can obtain a permit under the following circumstances:
- You rent an entire primary residence as temporary accommodation on a daily or weekly basis for less than 8 weeks per year
- You only rent an individual room (or sleeping space) of the primary residence
You need to be able to demonstrate compliance with these rules at the request of the building supervision department. Alternatively, you can pay a compensation for the use of living space for short-term rentals and obtain a permit without the restrictions above. The authorities also may decide to grant the permit for a limited period or add conditions. The department provides a written receipt for permit applications. They have one month to decide whether or not to approve an application. If they don’t make a decision within that month, the permit is deemed to have been granted.
Check the regulations and the information provided by the City of Frankfurt to learn more about permit rules in Frankfurt.
Tourist tax
On January 1, 2018, the City of Frankfurt implemented a tourism tax. Check Frankfurt’s administration site or the leaflet (available in German and English) they provide to guests for more information.
The tourist tax applies to any non-resident who isn’t in the city for business or by invitation to city facilities or events, unless exempted by law. The tax for each person is 2.00 € per day.
Since August 1, 2018, we started to collect and pay the tourism tax on your behalf so you don’t have to. We list the tax separately on your guests’ invoices and add it to their total.