Ho Chi Minh City proposes piloting short-term apartment rentals

The pilot is slated to begin on September 1, 2025, and would apply only to apartments in buildings with approved designs and adequate infrastructure, according to the department’s recent proposal to the municipal administration.

Participating owners must secure approval through management board meetings and agree to pay higher management and operational fees.

They would also be required to register their rental activities with local authorities, the building’s management board, and its operation service provider.

Additionally, they must report tenant information and comply with regulations on tourism, residency, taxation, fire safety, and insurance.

All Airbnb-style rentals must ensure safety, security, environmental sanitation, and public order, and must not infringe upon the rights of neighboring residents.

Violations would result in administrative penalties, with repeated infractions potentially leading to temporary suspension from the pilot program.

The department is also seeking authorization to collaborate with law enforcement and tourism authorities to develop evaluation criteria and implementation guidelines for the initiative.

This proposal comes in response to widespread feedback from experts, business groups, and short-term rental providers following the issuance of Decision 26/2025 by the city’s administration in February.

Based on the 2023 Housing Law, the decision restricts apartments to residential use only and prohibits short-term rentals like Airbnb.

However, real estate associations, legal experts, and rental platform operators argue that the southern metropolis should experiment with a business model that promotes tourism, boosts city revenue, and protects the rights of apartment owners.

The pilot also aims to establish coordination mechanisms with sharing economy platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com, and Agoda, enabling authorities to access lodging data, monitor rental activity, and take enforcement action against non-compliant listings.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Thursday, Nguyen Thuong Hoai, a representative of Ho Chi Minh City’s short-term rental provider community, emphasized the positive impact of the model on the city’s tourism sector and broader economy.

She added that the department’s proposal lays the groundwork for legal and regulatory revisions to better accommodate apartment owners offering Airbnb-style lodging, while also reflecting the authorities’ willingness to engage with and respond to public feedback.