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90nights per yearnot a blanket approval for every propertyUrbanHome · News · City of Lucerne
Airbnb in Lucerne 2026: 90-day rule, registration and permits
Anyone listing an apartment, room or serviced apartment in the City of Lucerne on Airbnb in 2026 needs to check the 90-night restriction introduced in 2025 and the local registration number. Exceptions exist, particularly where no housing has been displaced and for qualifying home sharing in a principal residence. This guide explains online registration, permits, guest reporting, tourist taxes and the CHF 1.10 cantonal accommodation levy applicable in 2026.
Author: Nikita von Niederhäuser, UrbanHome real estate expert30 October 2026 · approx. 15 minutes
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2025regulation in forcesince 1 January 202503
IDnumber in listingscheck registration before advertising04
1.10CHF accommodation levycantonal, per liable person/nightThe key distinction
90 nights – but not for every accommodation.
The City of Lucerne restricts paid short-term letting that displaces residential housing. The former use of the premises, principal residence and any city confirmations matter. A short stay generally means providing paid accommodation to people staying in Lucerne for less than three months.
Airbnb · Luzern · 2026
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90-night limit
Covered residential premises face an annual cap
Article 2 generally limits short stays to 90 nights per premises and calendar year. Nights cannot be averaged across several properties. [1]
02
No displacement exception
Confirmation for unlimited short stays
Accommodation not used as residential housing since 2010, or created without removing housing since 2010, may be let without the annual cap once the City issues the required confirmation. [1]
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Principal residence and exclusions
Home sharing needs a separate assessment
Where at least one person genuinely has their principal residence in the premises and no abusive return is made, the special home-sharing exception may apply. Tourist and agricultural zones are outside this municipal regulation. [2]
City registration
Register Airbnb in Lucerne: how the ID number works
Registration is different from planning permission or a cantonal hospitality licence. The City uses the information to determine whether the 90-night limit applies.
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Online form
Register the accommodation with the City
Covered short-stay listings must use the City online form. The old 31 March 2025 deadline concerned existing listings; newly listed properties should be registered before advertising. [3]
02
Property checks
Document the premises’ use since 2010
The City considers whether the premises were previously residential or housing was removed when they were built. Plans, prior permits and other evidence may be requested. [2]
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Identification number
Display the number in each listing
The number is assigned to the premises, not to the host. It must appear on Airbnb, Booking.com, the property website and other advertising. [1]
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Confirmation or limit
90 nights unless an exemption applies
The City can confirm unrestricted short stays when the Article 3(4) conditions are shown. Otherwise hosts must observe the 90-night limit and any applicable transitional provision. [1]
Official contact: City of Lucerne online form at www.stadtluzern.ch/kurzzeitvermietung. Email: [email protected]. Registration does not replace other permits that may be required. www.stadtluzern.ch/kurzzeitvermietung
Permits · planning and hospitality law
When does Airbnb in Lucerne require a permit?
Three separate questions apply: City registration, the permitted use under planning law and the cantonal hospitality licence.
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City regulation
An ID number is not a building permit
The City ID establishes registration under the short-stay rules, not permission for a change of use. A planning or building permit may be needed separately. [2]
02
Private rooms and holiday flats
Ordinary private letting may be exempt
Lucerne Police states that private rooms and holiday apartments are generally exempt from the cantonal Hospitality Act under section 3(1)(d). Other rules still apply. [4]
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Commercial accommodation
More than ten beds or several properties
The Police guidance highlights homes with more than ten beds, or at least three properties regularly and exclusively offered to guests, as commercial accommodation that may require a licence. [4]
Important transitional rule: premises lawfully let for more than 90 nights in 2023 may benefit from a transition until 11 March 2028 only if the required evidence was submitted on time under Article 6. Late registration does not retroactively create that entitlement. [1]
Tourist charges · changes in 2026
Tourist tax and accommodation levy in Lucerne in 2026
Municipal tourist tax, cantonal accommodation levy and any local accommodation levy are distinct. CHF 1.10 is not the total visitor-tax bill.
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Canton from 2026
CHF 1.10 per person and overnight stay
The cantonal levy rose from CHF 0.50 to CHF 1.10 on 1 January 2026. Statutory exemptions include children under 16. [5]
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Municipal tourist tax
Check the applicable rate and billing
City tourist tax and any local accommodation levy can be added to the cantonal charge. Confirm the applicable total with the responsible tourism body. [10]
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Holiday property above 90 days
No annual flat-rate tourist tax from 2026
Where owners commercially let a holiday flat or holiday home for more than 90 days a year in Lucerne, tourist tax must be calculated per guest and night instead of under an annual flat-rate arrangement. [6]
Check platform collection: Airbnb may collect some tourist charges automatically. Verify which cantonal and municipal amounts have actually been remitted, especially for direct bookings and other booking channels. Avoid double collection.
Guest registration · security
Must Airbnb hosts report guests in Lucerne?
Cantonal guest-record requirements apply separately from the City registration ID for paid accommodation.
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Foreign guests
Registration form even without a hospitality licence
Lucerne Police requires foreign guests to complete a guest registration form, including in private accommodation that does not need a hospitality licence. [4]
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Retention
Keep guest forms for five years
The Police guidance requires retention of these forms for five years. Identity data must also be handled in accordance with applicable privacy rules. [4]
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Different obligations
City ID is not a guest report
The Airbnb identification number supports City short-stay monitoring. Police guest records and tourist-charge accounting are separate obligations. [4]
Tenants · owners · main residence
Who may list a property on Airbnb in Lucerne?
Tenancy law, condominium regulations and municipal short-stay rules all apply. Home sharing in a genuine principal residence warrants particular attention.
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TenantsObtain the landlord’s consent
Paid subletting of all or part of a rented home generally requires landlord consent under Article 262 of the Swiss Code of Obligations. Disclose terms and prices. [9]
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OwnersCheck earlier use and the municipal regulation
Owners should establish whether a unit was residential since 2010 and whether an exemption confirmation is possible. Condominium regulations may also restrict short-term letting. [2]
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Principal residenceHome sharing without an abusive return
Hosting in one’s true principal residence may fall outside the municipal definition when the conditions are met. An abusive return can remove this exemption. [7]
Practical examples
Three common Airbnb scenarios in the City of Lucerne
These examples illustrate the regulation; the responsible authority must confirm each particular property.
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Case 01 · Former rental home
Converted to a holiday flat in 2018
A formerly ordinary rental flat is now offered throughout the year. Unless a specific exemption applies, the cap is generally 90 nights per year, and registration with an ID is required. [1]
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Case 02 · Former office
Converted to guest apartments in 2021
Where evidence shows no residential housing was displaced and the City confirms this, unlimited short stays may be possible. Planning and hospitality requirements still need checking. [2]
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Case 03 · Principal home
Occasionally renting a spare room
If the host actually lives there and earns no abusive return, the home-sharing exception may apply. Tenants still need landlord consent. [7]
Before listing
Airbnb checklist for Lucerne 2026
Ten practical checks covering 90 nights, registration, licences and tourist taxes.
Is the address in the City of Lucerne rather than a neighbouring municipality?
Does the paid accommodation count as a short stay of under three months?
Was the property used as housing since 2010, or built in place of housing?
Is municipal registration required, and is there an ID number?
Is the ID shown on Airbnb and other advertising channels?
Does the property comply with 90 nights per year, or have an exemption confirmation?
Is a properly documented transition until March 2028 applicable?
Is a change-of-use permit or cantonal hospitality licence required?
Are landlord consent, foreign-guest forms and five-year retention covered?
Are the CHF 1.10 cantonal levy and applicable tourist/local charges accounted for?
Official sources
Legal sources and 2026 status
The provisions discussed apply to the City of Lucerne. Other municipalities in the canton may differ. Research status: 30 October 2026.
- City of Lucerne: short-term rental regulation, Articles 1–7 (German PDF)
- City of Lucerne: official explanatory notes (German PDF)
- City of Lucerne: online registration and short-term rental information (German)
- Lucerne Police: private rooms and holiday apartments, January 2026 (German PDF)
- Canton of Lucerne: Tourism Act, version 1 January 2026 (German)
- City of Lucerne: 2026 tourism-charge changes (German PDF)
- City of Lucerne: registration decision flowchart (German PDF)
- Federal Office for Housing: City of Lucerne case study (German)
- Fedlex: Article 262, Swiss Code of Obligations
- Lucerne Tourism: tourist taxes and accommodation charges (German PDF)
- City of Lucerne: launch of online registration (German PDF)
Legal note: This article provides general information and is not an individual legal ruling. Check the specific property with the relevant City, cantonal and tourism authorities.
UrbanHome · direct answer
Frequently asked questions about Airbnb in Lucerne 2026
Key rules for private and professional hosts.
14FAQ
Yes. In the City of Lucerne, covered short-term accommodation is generally limited to 90 nights per premises and calendar year, subject to specific exceptions.
It may. The regulation also covers individual rooms. There is a special exception for home sharing in a genuine principal residence where no abusive return is earned.
The Lucerne short-term rental regulation came into force on 1 January 2025.
Generally yes if it falls within the City regulation. Exemptions exist for specific principal-residence and zoning situations.
Use the City online form at stadtluzern.ch/kurzzeitvermietung. The identification number belongs to the accommodation and must appear in listings.
Potentially, yes. If no housing was displaced, the City may issue confirmation allowing unrestricted short-term letting.
Properties lawfully rented for more than 90 nights in 2023 may qualify for a transition until 11 March 2028 if the statutory evidence was submitted on time.
Ordinary private rooms and holiday apartments may be exempt. Properties with more than ten beds, or at least three homes used regularly and exclusively for guests, may require a licence.
The cantonal levy is CHF 1.10 per liable person and overnight stay from 1 January 2026. Municipal tourist tax and local accommodation charges may be additional.
Holiday homes commercially rented for over 90 days in the year must use per-guest, per-night tourist tax instead of an annual flat-rate arrangement.
Airbnb can collect some charges automatically. Verify the actual amounts remitted and separately account for direct bookings and other channels.
Yes. Foreign guests must complete a guest form even at private premises without a hospitality licence, and the Police guidance calls for five-year retention.
Only in accordance with Article 262 of the Swiss Code of Obligations, including the required landlord consent and other local rules.
The City regulation provides for fines for intentional or negligent breaches of core short-term rental and registration duties, with possible other consequences.
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Key takeaways
Conclusion: distinguish registration, the 90-night cap and taxes
Since 2025, Lucerne has generally limited covered short-term accommodation to 90 nights per year. Exemptions depend particularly on the use of premises since 2010, principal-residence conditions and municipal confirmation. Hosts must display the registration number, assess any additional permits and police guest reporting, and account for the CHF 1.10 cantonal levy in addition to municipal tourist taxes in 2026.
Lucerne rental search
Find rental homes in Lucerne on UrbanHome
Compare current rental listings in Lucerne and nearby communities. Before subletting a rental home on Airbnb, check landlord consent and the permitted use.
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