Who would the proposed rules apply to?
- Property owners who advertise short-term accommodation.
- Operators or agents who manage short-term rentals for owners.
- Booking platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com.
Every short-term rental would need to be registered
- Every property advertised on a booking platform would have to be registered with the City of Cape Town.
- Each registered property would receive a City-issued short-term letting registration number.
- That number would have to appear on every online listing for the property.
- A listing without a valid registration number would have to be removed by the owner, operator or booking platform.
AirBNB Property owners and platforms would need to share information
Property owners, operators and booking platforms would have to provide the City with information about:
- When the property is available for short-term rental.
- How frequently it is occupied.
- Other information needed to determine the property's correct rates category.
How would the 50% rule work?
- If a property is rented out short-term for 50% or less of its potential annual room nights, it may remain classified as residential.
- If it is rented out for more than 50% of its potential annual room nights, the City would classify it as commercial accommodation.
- A property classified as commercial accommodation would be charged commercial property rates, which may be higher than residential rates.
What is an AirBNB room night?
It is based on the number of rentable rooms as well as the number of nights available. One room available for 365 nights gives 365 potential room nights. Two rooms available for the full year give 730 potential room nights. The 50% threshold would be calculated from that total capacity.
It is based on the number of rentable rooms as well as the number of nights available. One room available for 365 nights gives 365 potential room nights. Two rooms available for the full year give 730 potential room nights. The 50% threshold would be calculated from that total capacity.
Who should not be affected by commercial rates?
According to the draft notice, commercial rates are not intended to apply to:
- Someone who occasionally rents out part of their own home to earn extra income.
- Ordinary long-term rental properties where the property is the tenant's primary residence.
- Short-term rental properties that remain at or below the 50% threshold and meet the City's other residential-rating requirements.
When could the changes happen?
- The rules are currently only a proposal and have not yet come into effect.
- The City intends to begin changing applicable property-rating categories from 1 July 2027.
- The draft notice lists slightly different public consultation dates in different sections: 4 August to 4 October 2026, and 5 August to 5 October 2026.
- To be safe, comments should be submitted no later than 4 October 2026, unless the City confirms otherwise.
How can you comment on the proposed AirBNB Cape Town rules?
- Email comments to STL@capetown.gov.za.
- Comment through the City of Cape Town's Have Your Say or Collaborate pages.
- Place written comments in the comment boxes at City libraries or deliver them to a subcouncil office.
- Call 0800 220 441 for general enquiries.
The simplest summary of the AirBNB Cape Town proposed rules:
Occasional home-sharing should be able to remain residential, but a property operated as short-term accommodation for most of the year may be treated - and charged rates - as a commercial business. Because this is a draft by-law, the final requirements and dates may change.
Occasional home-sharing should be able to remain residential, but a property operated as short-term accommodation for most of the year may be treated - and charged rates - as a commercial business. Because this is a draft by-law, the final requirements and dates may change.