India Airbnb & STR Host Guide 2026

A short-term rental (STR) is a furnished property — or rooms within one — rented to guests for periods typically under 30 days. In India, STRs are listed on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, MakeMyTrip Homestays, and Booking.com.

Indian law does not use the term "short-term rental" officially. Instead, your property falls into one of three legal categories based on how you use it:

Yes — listing on Airbnb, MakeMyTrip, VRBO, or Booking.com is legal in India. These are simply booking channels. The platform itself does not determine whether your STR is legal; your compliance depends on:

1. Whether you live at the property (owner-occupied homestay vs investor STR) 2. Your state and city's tourism/municipal rules 3. Your apartment's RWA (Resident Welfare Association) bylaws

Airbnb signed an MoU with India's Ministry of Tourism in 2023, actively working toward regulated, registered homestay listings on incredibleindia.gov.in.

All four platforms allow Indian hosts to list for free:

Airbnb — Go to airbnb.co.in → "Become a Host". You'll need a government ID, bank account (for payouts), and property photos. Airbnb verifies your identity via Aadhaar or passport.

MakeMyTrip — Visit makemytrip.com/hotels/homestay-register.htm to list as a homestay, or apartment-register.htm for an apartment. MakeMyTrip and Goibibo share the same partner backend (Go-MMT).

Booking.com — Go to join.booking.com. Requires property photos, address, and bank account. Booking.com is especially strong for international travellers.

VRBO (Expedia Group) — Visit vrbo.com/list. VRBO lists only whole-home rentals (no shared spaces). One sign-up distributes across Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, and Travelocity.

Before listing on any platform, check your STR rules and RWA bylaws using our free compliance checker.

The short answer: probably not, for platform bookings.

Since January 2022, under Section 9(5) of the CGST Act, platforms like Airbnb, MakeMyTrip, Booking.com, and VRBO are legally required to collect and deposit GST on your behalf — not you. This means most individual hosts don't need their own GST registration for bookings made through these platforms.

GST rates on accommodation: - Nightly rate ≤ ₹1,000 — Exempt - ₹1,001 – ₹7,500 — 12% GST (collected by platform) - Above ₹7,500 — 18% GST (collected by platform)

When you DO need GST registration: - If annual income from direct (off-platform) bookings exceeds ₹20 lakh - If you earn more than ₹10 lakh in special-category states

Always link your PAN to your platform payout account to avoid excess TDS deductions.

Earnings depend heavily on city, location, and property type. Estimated ranges for a well-managed 2BHK:

Use our free Market Analysis tool to get projections specific to your property, including cleaning costs, property management fees, and platform fees.

Rules vary significantly by city and state:

Most permissive: Goa (mandatory TAU registration, straightforward), Kerala/Kochi (Green Leaf homestay scheme), Jaipur (Rajasthan Heritage Hotel and Homestay schemes).

Moderate: Bangalore (BBMP trade licence required for investor STR; Karnataka has voluntary homestay registration), Hyderabad (GHMC trade licence, same-day provisional licence available), Delhi (Delhi Tourism Home Stay Scheme; MCD trade licence for investor STR).

Most restrictive: Mumbai and Pune — co-operative housing societies have legal authority to ban STRs under the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act. Always get written society approval before listing.

Tamil Nadu (Chennai, Coimbatore): No dedicated STR law; GCC / CCMC trade licence required for investor-owned units. Owner-occupied properties can register under MoT NIDHI portal.

Use our free STR Rules Checker to get the exact trade licence steps for your city.

Yes — if you don't live at the property (investor STR), you need a trade licence from your Municipal Corporation in the "Lodging House" or "Service Apartment" category.

Each city has its own portal: - Chennai — GCC e-portal (erp.chennaicorporation.gov.in) - Coimbatore — CCMC via TN Urban E-Pay (tnurbanepay.tn.gov.in) - Mumbai — MyBMC portal (portal.mcgm.gov.in) - Bangalore — BBMP Trade Licence portal (trade.bbmpgov.in) - Delhi — MCD Trade Licence portal (mcdonline.nic.in/gtlmcd) - Hyderabad — GHMC CURE portal (trade.ghmc.gov.in) — provisional licence issued same day - Pune — PMC RTS portal (services.pmc.gov.in) - Jaipur — Rajasthan LSG Online (lsgonline.rajasthan.gov.in) - Kochi — Kochi Corporation IFTE Licence portal - Goa — Tourist Accommodation Unit (TAU) via Goa Tourism + local Panchayat

See the full step-by-step process for your city in our STR Rules Checker.

All hosts — regardless of city or property type — must comply with the Foreigners Act 1946 for international guests:

1. Guest Register — Maintain a record of all guests (name, passport/ID number, nationality, check-in/out dates). This applies to Indian guests too under most state Police Acts.

2. Form C for foreign nationals — Submit Form C electronically to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) within 24 hours of a foreign national's check-in.

3. Penalty for non-compliance — Foreigners Act §14: up to 5 years imprisonment for the host.

Airbnb sends reminder notifications to India hosts about FRRO obligations. CliqaiHomes Module 2 will include automated Form C submission as part of the digital guest register feature.

Yes — and this is the biggest practical risk for many Indian hosts.

RWA = Resident Welfare Association — the elected body governing your apartment complex or gated colony. Their bye-laws can restrict or outright ban short-term rentals, regardless of what government rules permit.

In co-operative housing societies (very common in Mumbai, Pune, and Chennai), the bye-laws have the force of a registered agreement. The Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, for example, gives societies explicit authority to regulate subletting and commercial use.

Before listing: - Request a copy of your building's Maintenance Agreement / Bye-Laws - Look for clauses on "subletting," "commercial use," or "short-term occupancy" - Get written NOC (No Objection Certificate) from your RWA's Managing Committee

If you're buying property specifically for STR investment, verify with the RWA before purchase — verbal approvals are not binding.