What should be considered for short-term rentals (e.g. Airbnb)?

If you rent out your flat or house on a short-term basis, for example to earn extra money through platforms like Airbnb, you must pay tax on the rental income. This applies even if you only sublet occasionally or for a short period.

However, there are ways to reduce your tax burden. You can present all advertising costs incurred in connection with the rental to the tax office. You can deduct these from the rental income you have earned, thus reducing your taxes.

Deductible advertising costs include, among others:

• Proportional rent or interest for the rental period: If you rent out a room in your flat, you can claim part of your rental costs as advertising costs.
• Proportional renovation and maintenance costs: If you carried out renovation work or repairs before renting, you can claim these as advertising costs. Ongoing maintenance costs, such as heating system maintenance, can also be deducted.
• Proportional utility costs for the rented space, such as heating, water, gas: If you rent out a room in your flat, you can deduct part of the utility costs as advertising costs. You should allocate the total costs of your utility bill accordingly.
• Payments to Airbnb: You can also deduct the costs you pay for using the Airbnb platform as advertising costs.
• It is important to collect all receipts and invoices related to the rental. This is the only way to prove which costs you actually incurred and claim them as advertising costs.

To ensure you comply with all tax aspects of short-term rentals, you should consult a tax advisor. This way, you can ensure that you do not overlook any important points and avoid unexpected tax back payments.