An apartment abroad: a checklist for operations, marketing and local rules

Letting an apartment in a country where you don’t live means dealing with two things at once: how to convince guests that the place suits them, and how to make sure the stay goes smoothly without you being there. It doesn’t end with photos and a translated description. Before you publish dates, go through the local rules, the person who will hand over the keys and a plan for situations that can’t be solved by message.

First check the rules where the property is

Short-term accommodation may be governed by the rules of the country, the region, the city and the specific building. Check whether you need a registration, a licence, a registration number, to collect a local tax, special insurance or to report guests. Find out whether letting is restricted by the owners’ association, the building manager, a lease or a loan condition. Don’t infer your obligations from what applies at home or in the neighbouring resort. The official EU portal points out that registration is not required for every short-term rental; rules may be set by the state, the region or the municipality, and the page links to information by country (Your Europe: rules for short-term accommodation). The EU regulation on data collection, applicable from 20 May 2026, does not by itself introduce a uniform licence or mandatory registration for all hosts (Regulation (EU) 2024/1028). Check tax questions, licensing and your obligations towards guests with the competent authorities in the country of the property and with a local tax adviser. If something has to be reported, set yourself reminders well in advance.

Arrange a person on site

Find a reliable manager or a pair of people who can handle cleaning, laundry, handovers and emergencies. Agree on the price and scope of work: who checks the condition after guests, who restocks consumables, who deals with a blocked drain and who decides whether the next guest’s check-in can be postponed. Have a backup contact for illness or holidays. Clarify in the contract whether the manager can approve small expenses and up to what amount. Give guests a contact who actually responds during their stay.

Prepare the house and arrival remotely

Test self check-in, night lighting, Wi‑Fi, air conditioning or heating and household appliances. Write short guides in a language guests understand. Keep a spare key in a safe place and set a procedure for power, water or internet outages. Verify the exact address, parking and route in a navigation app. Don’t hide stairs, noise, shared spaces or the distance to the beach or the centre in the description. A transparent description can reduce the gap between expectations and experience.

Adapt marketing to the real place

Work out who comes to the area and when: families in summer, skiers in winter, business guests off-season or people looking for a longer stay. Write the description in the main language of your visitors and have it checked by a native speaker or an experienced translator. State practical distances, transport options, parking, the nearest shop and any limitations. Take photos in the season that matches the offer; a summer terrace should not stand in for explaining what living in the apartment is like in winter.

Compare your price with comparable offers for the same dates and group size. Check how taxes, local fees, cleaning and any deposits are shown on each channel. Don’t rely on automatic currency conversion as a guarantee of the correct final price. Regularly check the calendar, currency, language and time zone. If you are tax resident in another country, foreign rental income may also have reporting or tax consequences there; the result depends on your situation, the type of income and the double taxation treaty. Check it with an adviser who knows both jurisdictions.

Set up operational checks

To compare booking channels, read Your own website or portals?, and for arrival instructions What to send guests before arrival. BKNGWEB lists a multilingual website, currency conversion, iCal/calendars and direct bookings. This can be useful when preparing your own presentation, but it does not replace local management or checking your obligations. It lists the current price as €199 a year; before choosing, check the details and terms at BKNGWEB.