Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Norway Property Pack
Yes, the analysis of Bergen's property market is included in our pack
Bergen is Norway's second-largest city and one of its most visited, with a UNESCO-listed harbour, dramatic fjord scenery, and a packed festival calendar that keeps tourists coming year-round.
If you're wondering whether running an Airbnb in Bergen makes financial sense in 2026, this article breaks down the rules, the numbers, and the real competition you'll face.
We update this article regularly to reflect the latest regulations, market data, and seasonal trends.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Bergen.
Insights
- Bergen's Airbnb market has around 3,100 active listings in 2026, but 55% of them are one-bedroom apartments, meaning family-sized rentals with 3+ bedrooms face far less competition.
- The typical occupancy rate in Bergen sits at roughly 60%, but top-performing hosts with strong reviews and dynamic pricing can push that to 70% or even 80%.
- Apartments in a borettslag (housing cooperative) face a strict 30-day annual cap for short-term rental, which is three times more restrictive than the 90-day cap in condo-style eierseksjonssameie buildings.
- During Festspillene (Bergen International Festival) and Bergenfest in late May and early June, nightly rates in central Bergen can spike 30% to 60% above the usual summer baseline.
- Bergen's walkable harbour core, including Bryggen, Nordnes, and Sentrum, commands nightly prices 15% to 35% higher than listings in transit-dependent neighborhoods like Laksevåg or Fyllingsdalen.
- The average annual revenue for a Bergen Airbnb listing is around NOK 140,000 (roughly $14,000 or €11,900), but this average is dragged down by many part-time hosts who only rent occasionally.
- Norway is introducing a 3% tourist tax on overnight stays starting in summer 2026, which will apply to Airbnb rentals and affect your pricing strategy.
- Nearly 97% of Bergen Airbnb listings offer Wi-Fi and a kitchen, but only 78% advertise proper heating, which is a critical amenity given Bergen's famously rainy and damp climate.
- Operating multiple Airbnb units in Bergen triggers VAT registration requirements once you cross certain turnover thresholds, turning your side hustle into a business with real compliance obligations.
Can I legally run an Airbnb in Bergen in 2026?
Is short-term renting allowed in Bergen in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, short-term renting is allowed in Bergen, but your ability to host depends heavily on what type of property you own and what your building's rules say.
Norway doesn't have a single national "Airbnb law," but the main legal framework comes from amendments to the Housing Cooperative Act (burettslagslova) and the Condominium Act (eierseksjonsloven), which set specific caps on how many nights you can rent out your home each year.
The single most important restriction is that if you live in an apartment, your ownership structure likely imposes a hard annual limit: 30 days for borettslag (housing cooperatives) or 90 days for eierseksjonssameie (condo-style ownership).
Beyond these caps, your building's board can impose even stricter rules, and the Norwegian government is actively working on enforcement tools to crack down on "shadow hotels" that operate like commercial accommodation from residential buildings.
Penalties for illegal short-term rentals can include fines, eviction from your borettslag, or forced termination of your rental activity, especially if neighbors complain or your operation looks hotel-like.
For a more general view, you can read our article detailing what exactly foreigners can own and buy in Norway.
If you are an American, you might want to read our blog article detailing the property rights of US citizens in Norway.
Are there minimum-stay rules and maximum nights-per-year caps for Airbnbs in Bergen as of 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, Bergen doesn't impose a citywide minimum-stay requirement, but maximum nights-per-year caps depend entirely on your property's ownership structure: 90 days for condo-style apartments (eierseksjonssameie) and just 30 days for housing cooperative apartments (borettslag).
These rules differ significantly by property type: detached houses, rowhouses, and semi-detached homes generally don't face the same automatic caps, though they can still attract scrutiny if operated like mini-hotels.
Most Bergen hosts track their rental nights manually or rely on platform booking records, since Airbnb is required to report rental transaction data to Norwegian tax authorities anyway.
If you exceed the annual cap in an eierseksjonssameie, your building's board can take action against you, and in a borettslag, continued violations can lead to eviction or termination of your cooperative membership.
Do I have to live there, or can I Airbnb a secondary home in Bergen right now?
You don't have to live in the property to run an Airbnb in Bergen, but secondary homes are where the annual caps hit hardest since you'll be renting out the entire unit.
Owners of secondary homes or investment properties can legally operate short-term rentals, but they face the full force of the 90-day cap (for eierseksjonssameie) or the 30-day cap (for borettslag) on whole-home rentals.
There are no additional permits specifically required for non-primary residence rentals in Bergen beyond what the national ownership-form rules already impose.
The main practical difference is that when you rent out your primary residence while you're away (say, during vacation), you're often seen as casual sharing, but renting out a secondary home year-round looks more commercial and draws closer attention from building boards and tax authorities.
Can I run multiple Airbnbs under one name in Bergen right now?
Running multiple Airbnb listings under one name is legally possible in Bergen, but the more units you operate, the more you look like a commercial business rather than a casual host.
There is no strict legal cap on how many properties one person can list for short-term rental, but Norway's government has signaled it's targeting "shadow hotel" operations, and buying multiple units in the same residential association is now restricted.
If you operate multiple listings, you should strongly consider registering a sole proprietorship (enkeltpersonforetak) through Altinn, and once your turnover crosses VAT thresholds, you'll need to register for VAT as well.
The regulatory push behind these limits is to prevent residential buildings from becoming de facto hotels and to protect housing availability for permanent residents in cities like Bergen.
Do I need a short-term rental license or a business registration to host in Bergen as of 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, Bergen does not require a specific "short-term rental license" like some major European cities, but you may still need to register as a business depending on how you operate.
If you're hosting one unit occasionally and managing it yourself, you can often treat the income as private letting and report it on your normal tax return.
However, if you're running multiple units, handling frequent turnovers, or offering professional services, you should register a sole proprietorship (enkeltpersonforetak), which you can do online through Norway's Brønnøysund Register Centre.
The cost of registration itself is minimal, but the real expense comes from maintaining proper accounts and potentially registering for VAT once your turnover triggers that requirement.
Are there neighborhood bans or restricted zones for Airbnb in Bergen as of 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, Bergen does not have formal neighborhood bans or restricted zones for short-term rentals, but certain areas face much higher scrutiny due to building rules and neighbor sensitivity.
The neighborhoods with the tightest de facto restrictions are the central, touristy areas like Sentrum, Bryggen, and Nordnes, where Airbnb density is highest and building boards are most active in enforcing house rules against short-term rentals.
The main reason these zones face more pressure is the concentration of "entire home" listings, which creates friction with permanent residents who deal with noise, security concerns, and constant turnover of strangers in their buildings.
How much can an Airbnb earn in Bergen in 2026?
What's the average and median nightly price on Airbnb in Bergen in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, the average nightly price on Airbnb in Bergen is approximately NOK 1,600 ($160 or €136), while the median nightly price sits around NOK 1,450 ($145 or €123).
The typical nightly price range that covers roughly 80% of Bergen listings runs from about NOK 1,000 to NOK 2,400 ($100 to $240 or €85 to €205), depending on location, size, and amenities.
The single biggest factor affecting nightly pricing in Bergen is walkability to the harbour core: listings within a 10-minute walk of Bryggen, the fish market, or the Fløibanen funicular command significantly higher rates than those requiring transit.
By the way, you will find much more detailed profitability rent ranges in our property pack covering the real estate market in Bergen.
How much do nightly prices vary by neighborhood in Bergen in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, the nightly price gap between Bergen's most expensive and most affordable neighborhoods can reach 40% to 50%, with central Bryggen and Nordnes averaging NOK 1,950 ($195 or €166) while outer areas like Laksevåg average closer to NOK 1,200 ($120 or €102).
The three neighborhoods with the highest average nightly prices in Bergen are Bryggen/Vågen, Sentrum, and Nordnes, where walkability to UNESCO sites and festival venues pushes rates 15% to 35% above the city average.
The three neighborhoods with the lowest average nightly prices are Laksevåg, Fyllingsdalen, and parts of Årstad/Mindemyren, though these areas still attract budget-conscious travelers and those who don't mind using the Bybanen light rail to reach central Bergen.
What's the typical occupancy rate in Bergen in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, the typical occupancy rate for Airbnb listings in Bergen is around 60%, which reflects the market average across thousands of active listings.
The realistic occupancy rate range that covers most listings in Bergen runs from about 55% to 65%, though new hosts without many reviews often start 5 to 10 percentage points lower.
Bergen's occupancy rates are roughly in line with other popular Norwegian tourism destinations, though the city's strong cruise traffic and festival calendar give it an edge during peak summer months.
The single biggest factor for achieving above-average occupancy in Bergen is having excellent reviews combined with dynamic pricing, since guests in this weather-dependent market heavily rely on social proof before booking.
What's the average monthly revenue per listing in Bergen in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, the average monthly revenue per Airbnb listing in Bergen is approximately NOK 11,500 to NOK 12,000 ($1,150 to $1,200 or €980 to €1,020), which works out to roughly NOK 140,000 ($14,000 or €11,900) annually.
The realistic monthly revenue range that covers roughly 80% of Bergen listings runs from about NOK 6,000 to NOK 20,000 ($600 to $2,000 or €510 to €1,700), depending on availability, pricing strategy, and location.
Top-performing Airbnb listings in Bergen, especially well-located 2-bedroom or 3-bedroom properties with strong reviews, can achieve NOK 25,000 to NOK 35,000 ($2,500 to $3,500 or €2,125 to €2,975) per month during high season. A centrally located apartment available year-round with 75% occupancy at NOK 1,800 per night could generate over NOK 40,000 in a peak summer month.
Finally, note that we give here all the information you need to buy and rent out a property in Bergen.
What's the typical low-season vs high-season monthly revenue in Bergen in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, typical monthly revenue in Bergen ranges from about NOK 6,000 to NOK 10,000 ($600 to $1,000 or €510 to €850) during low season to NOK 16,000 to NOK 28,000 ($1,600 to $2,800 or €1,360 to €2,380) during high season, with spike weeks during major festivals pushing even higher.
Low season in Bergen runs roughly from November through February, when tourism is slowest, while high season spans June through August, with late May and early June getting an extra boost from Festspillene (May 27 to June 10) and Bergenfest (June 10 to 13).
What's a realistic Airbnb monthly expense range in Bergen in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, realistic monthly operating expenses for an Airbnb in Bergen range from approximately NOK 4,500 to NOK 12,500 ($450 to $1,250 or €380 to €1,060), excluding mortgage payments.
The single largest expense category for most Bergen hosts is cleaning and laundry, which can dominate your budget if you have frequent turnovers, since each turnover typically costs NOK 400 to NOK 800 depending on property size.
Hosts in Bergen should typically expect to spend 30% to 45% of gross revenue on operating expenses, with the percentage higher for smaller listings with more turnovers and lower for larger properties with longer average stays.
If you want to go into more details, we also have a blog article detailing all the property taxes and fees in Bergen.
What's realistic monthly net profit and profit per available night for Airbnb in Bergen in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, a realistically available Airbnb listing in Bergen can generate approximately NOK 16,500 to NOK 24,500 ($1,650 to $2,450 or €1,400 to €2,080) in monthly net profit before mortgage and income tax, which works out to roughly NOK 550 to NOK 820 ($55 to $82 or €47 to €70) profit per available night.
The realistic monthly net profit range that covers most Bergen listings runs from about NOK 8,000 to NOK 25,000 ($800 to $2,500 or €680 to €2,125), with wide variation depending on how many nights the property is actually available.
Net profit margins for Bergen Airbnb hosts typically fall between 55% and 70% of gross revenue, after accounting for cleaning, utilities, platform fees, and maintenance reserves.
The break-even occupancy rate for a typical Bergen Airbnb listing, assuming average pricing and expenses, is roughly 25% to 35%, which means even modest occupancy can cover your operating costs.
In our property pack covering the real estate market in Bergen, we explain the best strategies to improve your cashflows.
How competitive is Airbnb in Bergen as of 2026?
How many active Airbnb listings are in Bergen as of 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, Bergen has approximately 3,100 active Airbnb listings, making it a moderately competitive market by Norwegian standards.
The number of listings in Bergen has grown steadily over the past several years, though the pace of growth has slowed as regulations tightened and the market matured, with some consolidation among professional hosts.
Which neighborhoods are most saturated in Bergen as of 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, the most saturated neighborhoods for Airbnb in Bergen are Sentrum, Bryggen/Vågen, Nordnes, Nygårdshøyden, and Møhlenpris, where the concentration of "entire home" listings creates fierce competition.
These neighborhoods became saturated because they offer what tourists want most in Bergen: walkability to the UNESCO-listed harbour, proximity to the Fløibanen funicular, easy access to festival venues, and shelter from Bergen's famous rain without needing buses or trams.
Neighborhoods that remain relatively undersaturated and may offer better opportunities for new hosts include Årstad/Mindemyren, parts of Fana near Bybanen stops, and outer Sandviken, where you can still offer "12 minutes to Bryggen by light rail" without competing against hundreds of identical listings.
What local events spike demand in Bergen in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, the main local events that spike Airbnb demand in Bergen are Festspillene i Bergen (May 27 to June 10, 2026) and Bergenfest (June 10 to 13, 2026), plus the ongoing cruise ship arrivals throughout the summer season.
During these peak events, nightly rates in central Bergen can increase 30% to 60% above the usual summer baseline, with occupancy rates spiking as well, especially for listings within walking distance of Bergenhus Fortress and Bryggen.
Hosts should start adjusting their pricing and availability at least 2 to 3 months before these events, since serious festival-goers and cruise passengers often book well in advance, and last-minute inventory near the harbour core gets snapped up quickly.
What occupancy differences exist between top and average hosts in Bergen in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, top-performing Airbnb hosts in Bergen achieve occupancy rates of 70% to 80%, significantly outpacing the market average.
Average hosts in Bergen typically see around 60% occupancy, while new or unoptimized listings often struggle at 45% to 55% until they build up reviews and refine their pricing strategy.
It typically takes a new host in Bergen 6 to 12 months of consistent hosting, responsive communication, and pricing adjustments to reach top-performer occupancy levels, though excellent photos and a great location can accelerate this timeline.
We give more details about the different Airbnb strategies to adopt in our property pack covering the real estate market in Bergen.
Which price points are most crowded, and where's the "white space" for new hosts in Bergen right now?
The nightly price range with the highest concentration of listings in Bergen is NOK 1,300 to NOK 1,700 ($130 to $170 or €110 to €145), which is where most one-bedroom "entire home" apartments cluster.
The most crowded price points are in that mid-market band, meaning the "white space" opportunities for new hosts lie either in the true budget segment below NOK 1,000 ($100 or €85) per night, or in the premium family segment above NOK 2,500 ($250 or €213) per night for well-appointed 3+ bedroom properties.
Property characteristics that would allow a new host to successfully compete in these underserved segments include: for budget, excellent transit access and honest "not central but easy" marketing; for premium, genuine family-readiness with multiple bedrooms, rain-proof logistics, and amenities like dedicated workspaces for remote workers.
What property works best for Airbnb demand in Bergen right now?
What bedroom count gets the most bookings in Bergen as of 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, one-bedroom and two-bedroom properties get the most bookings in Bergen, simply because they dominate the supply and match the most common trip types: couples, solo travelers, and pairs of friends.
The estimated booking rate breakdown by bedroom count in Bergen shows one-bedrooms representing about 55% of listings, two-bedrooms about 29%, three-bedrooms about 11%, and studios and larger properties making up the remainder.
One and two-bedroom properties perform best in volume terms because Bergen's tourism mix skews toward couples and small groups visiting for festivals, fjord excursions, and city breaks, rather than large family reunions or group trips.
What property type performs best in Bergen in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, apartments (leilighet) are the best-performing property type for Airbnb in Bergen, representing roughly 90% of listings as "entire home" units and matching what most tourists expect when booking in this compact, walkable city.
Occupancy rates across property types in Bergen show apartments slightly outperforming houses and rowhouses in terms of booking frequency, though houses can command higher nightly rates when they offer extra space, privacy, or unique character.
Apartments outperform in Bergen because tourists prioritize location and convenience over space, and the city's geography (steep hills, frequent rain, compact centre) means a well-located apartment beats a larger house that requires transit or uphill walks in bad weather.
What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Bergen, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can … and we don't throw out numbers at random.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source | Why It's Authoritative | How We Used It |
|---|---|---|
| Lovdata | Lovdata is Norway's official legal publishing platform and the definitive reference for what the law actually says. | We used it to ground the hard "90 days per year" cap that applies to condo-style apartments in eierseksjonssameie. We treated it as the legal baseline before looking at local enforcement. |
| Regjeringen.no (Borettslag guidance) | This is the Norwegian government's own legal guidance site for interpreting housing cooperative laws. | We used it to confirm the "up to 30 days per year" rule in housing cooperatives (borettslag). We cross-checked it against Lovdata to avoid relying on commentary alone. |
| Regjeringen.no (Policy update) | It's an official government announcement about upcoming regulatory tools and enforcement powers for short-term rentals. | We used it to set expectations that rules are getting clearer and enforcement easier, especially for "shadow hotels." We translated that into practical risk guidance for Bergen hosts. |
| Bergen kommune | It's the city's official page for how Bergen taxes residential properties in 2026. | We used it to model a real recurring cost line (property tax) for profitability calculations. We applied the 2026 bunnfradrag (NOK 750,000) and rate (2.6‰) to keep expense estimates Bergen-specific. |
| Norges Bank (Policy rate) | Norges Bank is Norway's central bank, and its policy rate is the anchor for mortgage pricing. | We used it to frame financing reality "as of early 2026" with current interest rate levels. We did not assume any rate-cut path. |
| Norges Bank (Exchange rates) | It's the official reference exchange rate used widely for reporting and benchmarking in Norway. | We used it to convert AirDNA's USD-denominated market stats into NOK so the earnings math is intuitive for Norway-based owners. |
| Statistics Norway (SSB) - Accommodation | SSB is Norway's national statistics office, and its tourism stats are the official demand thermometer. | We used it to validate that Bergen's visitor economy is meaningfully driven by commercial stays and seasonality. We triangulated this with events and cruise indicators to translate tourism volume into STR demand. |
| AirDNA | AirDNA is a leading short-term rental analytics firm with transparent methodology and a long track record in the sector. | We used it as the backbone for "market reality" in Bergen: active listings, occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, bedroom mix, and common amenities. We then stress-tested these figures against local seasonality and cost structures. |
| Skatteetaten | Skatteetaten is Norway's tax authority, and this is their official VAT guidance. | We used it for the "when do I need to register and think like a business?" decision. We translated VAT registration into a practical threshold for hosts scaling beyond casual hosting. |
| Altinn | Altinn is the official government portal for business administration and filings in Norway. | We used it to describe the simplest compliant setup if hosting becomes a business activity. We kept it plain-English: what it is, when you'd do it, and what changes operationally. |
| Brønnøysund Register Centre | Brreg maintains Norway's core business registers and issues organisation numbers. | We used it to ground the "registration is real and official" part of setting up a sole proprietorship. We combined it with Altinn guidance to keep the process description accurate. |
| Bergen Havn | It's the port authority's own live schedule of arrivals for Bergen's harbour. | We used it as a concrete indicator of cruise and ship-driven demand pulses around the city centre. We treated it as a demand pressure signal to explain why some weeks price differently. |
| Festspillene i Bergen | It's the event organizer's official site, so festival dates are definitive. | We used it to identify a predictable high-demand window (late May to early June 2026). We mapped which neighborhoods benefit most from walkability to venues. |
| Bergenfest | It's the event organizer's official site, so festival dates are definitive. | We used it to pinpoint another price spike window and to infer what guests value during festivals. We incorporated it into the seasonality section and neighborhood pricing logic. |
| Kystverket | Kystverket is Norway's Coastal Administration and publishes national cruise traffic statistics. | We used it to sanity-check the bigger cruise picture so we didn't overfit to one port schedule page. We treated it as macro context supporting Bergen's tourism-driven peaks. |
| Airbnb Help Center (Norway) | It's Airbnb's official guidance for hosts on Norwegian regulations and tax reporting requirements. | We used it to confirm that Airbnb reports rental transaction data to Norwegian tax authorities since January 2020. We incorporated this into our compliance guidance for Bergen hosts. |
| TravelMole | It's a travel industry news source reporting on official Norwegian government legislation. | We used it to inform hosts about the upcoming 3% tourist tax on overnight stays starting summer 2026. We flagged this as a factor that will affect pricing strategy. |
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