China Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Regulations 2026
LawfulStay tracks short-term rental (STR / Airbnb / Vrbo / holiday let / vacation rental) regulations for 1213 cities and regions in China. Select a location below for current permit requirements, tax obligations, and compliance details.
China at a glance
- Places tracked
- 1213 places: 1108 active, 96 conditional, 9 restricted
- Licence or registration
- Required in 165 of 1212 places
- Tax on stays
- Applies in 0 of 1212 places
- National law
- Mainland China has no national short-term rental law and no national licence for a private host letting a flat. National rules ›
China short-term rental questions
Are short-term rentals legal in China?
In all 1213 places we track in China, short-term rentals are allowed, 105 of them with permit conditions or limits.
Do I need a licence for a short-term rental in China?
165 of 1212 places we track in China require a licence, permit or registration. Check your city's page for its rules.
Is there a national short-term rental law in China?
Mainland China has no national short-term rental law and no national licence for a private host letting a flat.
Which places in China have the strictest rules?
On our records: Beijing, Tongzhou, Mentougou, Liangxiang, Daxing, Fangshan.
Regions in China
- Shandong 142
- Jiangsu 108
- Guangdong 74
- Chongqing 71
- Heilongjiang 66
- Yunnan 53
- Sichuan 52
- Hubei 49
- Liaoning 46
- Jilin 45
- Hunan 39
- Zhejiang 39
- Henan 38
- Hebei 36
- Xinjiang 35
- Shanghai 34
- Guangxi 33
- Anhui 30
- Inner Mongolia 29
- Gansu 27
- Jiangxi 26
- Shaanxi 25
- Fujian 23
- Guizhou 18
- Hainan 16
- Shanxi 16
- Ningxia 11
- Beijing 9
- Tibet 9
- Qinghai 7
- Tianjin 6
China Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview
The short-term rental regulatory landscape in China encompasses 1213 tracked jurisdictions: 1108 with active regulations, 96 where rentals are allowed with conditions, 9 with restrictions. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.
165 of 1213 tracked jurisdictions in China require some form of permit, license, or registration for short-term rental operations. Requirements range from simple online registration to comprehensive permit applications with inspections.
Tax obligations apply in 1213 of 1213 jurisdictions. Common taxes include occupancy taxes, tourist levies, and sales taxes. Many jurisdictions require hosts to register for tax collection, and some platforms like Airbnb collect and remit taxes automatically in select locations.
Cities with significant restrictions on vacation rentals include Beijing, Tongzhou, Mentougou. These jurisdictions typically impose permit caps, zoning limitations, or primary residence requirements.
LawfulStay monitors China STR regulations daily and updates this page as rules change. Each city page includes detailed permit requirements, fee schedules, tax rates, zoning rules, and penalty information sourced from official government websites.