Short-term rental safety: what you risk if you're not compliant

If you rent your property on Airbnb, Booking, or directly, you're subject to legal safety obligations that many hosts either ignore or underestimate. And the penalties are far from symbolic.

In 2024, regulations tightened significantly across Europe. Between new housing laws, tourism decrees, and reinforced local authority inspections, the legal framework has never been stricter for short-term rental hosts. Yet most hosts still aren't fully compliant.

This article covers what's mandatory, what you actually risk, and how to get compliant without spending hours on it.

Registration number: the most enforced obligation

What the law says

In most European countries and many US cities, short-term rental hosts must register their activity with local authorities and obtain a registration number. This number must be displayed:

• On your online listing (Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo...)
• In the property, visible to guests
• On any communication related to the rental

What you risk

Penalties vary by country but are consistently severe:

• France: up to 50,000 € fine and 1 year imprisonment for false declaration
• Spain: fines up to 600,000 € in some regions (Barcelona, Balearic Islands)
• Italy: fines from 500 € to 5,000 € per violation
• Germany: up to 500,000 € in cities like Berlin and Munich
• Platforms like Airbnb are now required to block listings without registration numbers in cities that require them

The reality

Inspections are increasing. Major cities have dedicated enforcement teams, and smaller tourist towns are following suit. This is no longer a theoretical risk.

Smoke detector: mandatory, yet still missing in many rentals

What the law says

Smoke detectors are mandatory in virtually every European country and US state for any residential property, including short-term rentals. Requirements typically include:

• Compliance with EN 14604 standard (Europe) or UL 217 (US)
• Installation in hallways or corridors near bedrooms
• Regular maintenance (battery checks)

What you risk

In case of fire without a detector:

• Your insurance may refuse to cover damages
• Your civil liability is engaged: if a guest is injured, you're personally responsible
• In case of death, manslaughter charges can be brought
• Administrative fines up to 1,500 €

It's the simplest obligation to meet (a detector costs 15-20 €) yet the one that exposes you most when things go wrong.

Fire extinguisher: strongly recommended, mandatory in some cases

What the law says

Fire extinguishers aren't mandatory for all short-term rentals, but they become required in several cases:

• Public establishments: if your property is classified as a public-facing accommodation (large guesthouses, B&Bs over 15 people)
• Building regulations: some buildings require them
• Insurance: many landlord insurance policies require them

Why you should have one anyway

Beyond the law, it's about responsibility. A kitchen fire caught early with an extinguisher is a disaster avoided. Without one, a small fire can destroy your property in minutes.

Platforms like Airbnb also boost listings that declare safety equipment in their search filters.

Carbon monoxide detector: the unknown obligation

What the law says

A carbon monoxide detector is mandatory in any property equipped with a combustion appliance:

• Gas boiler
• Fireplace or wood stove
• Oil heating
• Gas cooker (in some jurisdictions)

Carbon monoxide is an odourless, invisible gas that kills hundreds of people annually across Europe.

What you risk

Same consequences as smoke detectors: civil and criminal liability if a guest is poisoned. Insurance may also refuse coverage.

First aid kit: not mandatory, but expected

A first aid kit isn't legally required for standard short-term rentals. However:

• It's mandatory for classified guesthouses in many countries
• It's part of quality classification criteria
• It's a quality signal for guests

Recommended minimum: plasters, antiseptic, sterile compresses, scissors, disposable gloves.

Emergency numbers: a display obligation

As a host, you must provide your guests with applicable emergency numbers. This is especially important because:

• Your guests are often foreign and don't know local numbers
• In a stressful situation, even locals can forget the right number
• Numbers vary by country (the American 911 doesn't work in France)

Service	France	Spain	Italy	Germany	UK	US/Canada
Fire	18	080	115	112	999	911
Ambulance	15	061	118	112	999	911
Police	17	091	113	110	999	911
European emergency	112	112	112	112	112	-

Summary: where do you stand?

Obligation	Status	Max penalty
Registration number	Mandatory	Up to 600,000 €
Smoke detector	Mandatory	Civil/criminal liability
CO detector (if combustion)	Mandatory	Civil/criminal liability
Fire extinguisher	Recommended (mandatory for large properties)	Variable
First aid kit	Recommended (mandatory for classified guesthouses)	-
Emergency numbers display	Recommended	-

How ScanStay makes you compliant automatically

Rather than managing all this manually (printing posters, updating numbers by country, managing registration numbers...), ScanStay now includes a Safety & Emergency block directly in your digital guestbook:

• Automatic emergency numbers: detected based on your property's country (12 countries supported), clickable to call in one tap
• Safety equipment: indicate what's present (detector, extinguisher, first aid kit...) in one click — your guests see it in the guestbook
• Registration number: enter it once in your settings, it's automatically displayed on all your guestbooks
• AI-powered: your guestbook's chatbot knows this information and can answer your guests' safety questions

Everything is automatically translated into 5 languages (French, English, Spanish, German, Italian) for your international guests.

Nothing to print, nothing to update. It's handled.

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Sources: EU Directive 2024/1275, local tourism codes, EN 14604 smoke detector standard, national fire safety regulations.