145th Regular Session of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia
The proposal for the Hospitality Act systematically categorizes the conditions for operating a hospitality business into three main segments:
- general conditions (such as defining types of hospitality establishments, requirements for equipment and services, and signage);
- conditions for food service activities (including operating hours and requirements for mobile food establishments); and
- conditions for accommodation services (categorization, registration in the accommodation establishments register).
Key innovations in the law include:
- regulation of short-term apartment rentals and an upgrade of the accommodation establishments register,
- greater flexibility in the operation of hospitality establishments (elimination of mandatory reporting of regular operating hours), and
- professional assessment of the highest quality categories of accommodation establishments and tourist farms.
The purpose of the draft law is to regulate and limit short-term rentals to return apartments, originally intended for housing, to their primary purpose. The general limit for short-term rentals is set at 60 days per year for apartments in multi-unit buildings and 150 days per year for apartments in single- or two-unit buildings.
Since the housing and tourism market conditions vary across Slovenia, the law allows municipalities to adjust these limits. For apartments in multi-unit buildings, municipalities can reduce or increase the limit between 30 and 90 days, while for single- and two-unit buildings, the range is 30 to 180 days. In making their decision, municipalities must assess both the housing market situation and tourism needs.
The draft law also refines the process for obtaining consent from co-owners in two-unit and multi-unit buildings. To conduct short-term rentals in a multi-unit building, the law clearly sets the required consent at 75% of co-owners and requires the approval of all owners of adjacent apartments. The consent is valid for three years. Existing consents will remain valid until December 12, 2026, or three years from the date of issuance, whichever is later.
To support the new short-term rental regulations, the accommodation establishments register will be adjusted. It will include more detailed data accessible to relevant inspection authorities and will be linked to the real estate cadastre. The register will also enable temporary revocation of an accommodation ID if the permitted rental period is exceeded.
Under the current system, hospitality businesses must report their operating hours, and failing to operate within the declared schedule is considered a violation. This has proven to be an unnecessary burden for hospitality providers. The new regulation removes this requirement, allowing establishments to operate within prescribed time limits and based on their published schedule, which can be adjusted as needed. If longer operating hours are required, the proposal allows for extended hours in accordance with municipal regulations. Additionally, specific days (such as traditional holidays) may be designated for extended hours without additional consent.
The proposal also introduces mandatory professional and objective evaluation of high-quality accommodation establishments (rated four or five stars) and tourist farms (up to five apples). Since 2019, accommodation establishments have been categorized through self-assessment, but to ensure higher quality, the new system mandates evaluations by qualified assessors who must pass a certification exam. A new five-apple category will be introduced for tourist farms.
Presentation of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo
More than 2,900 athletes from 90 countries will compete at the Winter Olympics, which will be held next year in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in neighboring Italy. The organizers expect 1.6 million visitors, 2 billion TV viewers and 3.25 billion reach on social networks. The Slovenian Olympic team is expected to have up to 50 athletes, and together with the accompanying teams, the Slovenian expedition will have more than 100 members. Slovenian athletes will compete in nine sports disciplines. The Olympic Committee of Slovenia – Association of Sports Federations (OKS-ZŠZ) is striving to provide Slovenian winter athletes with optimal conditions to prepare for the most important competition, similar to the one at the Paris 2024 Games. This will give them an even better opportunity to achieve more visible competition results, which requires additional financial investments. The success of the Slovenian team at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics has proven its potential as a platform for connecting and promoting Slovenia. OKS-ZŠZ is therefore striving to bring the Slovenian House 2026 to life at the Winter Olympic Games. This will be an opportunity to show the world the greatness of the Slovenian nation not only in sports, but also in culture, tourism and economy. The Slovenian House is an excellent platform for connecting Slovenian and international partners and creating new opportunities for cooperation and promotion of Slovenian brands, such as I FEEL SLOVENIA. The state would demonstrate its interest in joint promotion through a proven and attractive platform offered by both the competition part and the Slovenian House with financial support.