Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Bulgaria Property Pack
Everything you need to know before buying real estate is included in our Bulgaria Property Pack
This article covers the current landscape of running an Airbnb in Bulgaria, including nightly prices, occupancy rates, and realistic profit expectations for 2026.
We update this blog post regularly to reflect the latest market data and regulatory changes affecting short-term rentals in Bulgaria.
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 Bulgaria.
Insights
- Bulgaria's Airbnb market spans roughly 28,000 active listings in 2026, with nearly 40% concentrated in coastal resort towns like Sunny Beach and Golden Sands rather than in the capital Sofia.
- The average nightly rate for an Airbnb in Bulgaria in 2026 sits around 75 EUR, but ski resort properties in Bansko regularly command 97 USD or more during the winter peak season.
- Occupancy rates vary dramatically by location, with Sofia averaging 60% year-round while seasonal markets like Bansko drop to around 35% annually due to winter-only demand.
- Bulgaria requires all short-term rental hosts to register with the ESTI system and report guest stays daily, with fines starting at 500 BGN for first-time violations and reaching 5,000 BGN for repeat offenses.
- Tourist tax in Bulgaria ranges from 0.20 to 3.00 BGN per guest per night depending on the municipality, with Sofia charging 0.40 BGN and Bansko at 0.70 BGN.
- Top-performing Airbnb hosts in Bulgaria achieve occupancy rates 10 to 18 percentage points higher than average hosts, largely through better photography, faster response times, and dynamic pricing.
- The coastal city of Varna sees its most profitable month in August, when average monthly revenue can reach 1,800 to 3,500 EUR compared to low-season months at 500 to 900 EUR.
- One-bedroom apartments dominate Bulgaria's Airbnb supply and booking volume, but two-bedroom units often deliver better net profit margins due to lower competition and family demand.
- EU Regulation 2024/1028 will require Bulgaria to implement a unified digital registration system for short-term rentals by April 2026, tightening compliance requirements for hosts.
- Bulgaria's flat 10% personal income tax applies to Airbnb earnings, with many hosts operating as individuals rather than companies since no corporate registration is required for compliance.
Fact-checked and reviewed by our local expert
Yeheli Samuels 🇧🇬🇮🇱
CEO and Founder, Dira Bulgarit - Israeli real estate in Bulgaria
Can I legally run an Airbnb in Bulgaria in 2026?
Is short-term renting allowed in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, short-term renting through platforms like Airbnb is allowed in Bulgaria, but it is treated as a regulated accommodation activity rather than simple property rental.
The main legal framework governing short-term rentals in Bulgaria is the Tourism Act, which requires all accommodation providers to register their properties with local municipalities and the national tourism administration system.
The single most important condition hosts must comply with is registering their property with the municipality (paying approximately 20 BGN per bed) and enrolling in the Unified Tourist Information System (ESTI) to report guest stays.
Additional requirements include paying the municipal tourist tax (ranging from 0.20 to 3.00 BGN per guest per night), maintaining a physical guestbook for inspections, and meeting basic health and safety standards for accommodation.
Operating an unregistered short-term rental in Bulgaria can result in fines starting at around 500 BGN for initial violations, increasing up to 5,000 BGN for repeated non-compliance, and authorities can suspend rental operations entirely.
For a more general view, you can read our article detailing what exactly foreigners can own and buy in Bulgaria.
If you are an American, you might want to read our blog article detailing the property rights of US citizens in Bulgaria.
Are there minimum-stay rules and maximum nights-per-year caps for Airbnbs in Bulgaria as of 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, Bulgaria does not impose a national minimum-stay requirement or a maximum nights-per-year cap like some Western European cities do with their 90-day rules.
These rules do not differ by property type or host residency status at the national level, meaning there are no restrictions for any property type or location in Bulgaria based solely on how many nights you rent.
Instead of night caps, hosts in Bulgaria track compliance through the ESTI system, where they must report each guest stay on the day of check-in, and this data automatically calculates the tourist tax owed to the municipality.
On the practical side, many hosts in Bulgarian cities like Sofia and Plovdiv set minimum stays of 2 to 3 nights, while coastal and ski resort listings often increase minimums during peak weeks to capture longer bookings.
Do I have to live there, or can I Airbnb a secondary home in Bulgaria right now?
Bulgaria does not require hosts to live in the property they rent on Airbnb, which means you can legally operate a short-term rental from a secondary home or investment property.
In fact, a large portion of Bulgaria's Airbnb supply consists of resort condos on the Black Sea coast and ski apartments in Bansko that are clearly not primary residences, confirming that investor-owned properties are common and accepted.
The same registration requirements apply to secondary homes as to primary residences, so you still need to register with the municipality, enroll in ESTI, report guests, and pay tourist tax regardless of whether you live there.
The main practical difference is that owners of secondary homes often use property management services to handle guest check-ins, cleaning, and ESTI reporting, especially if they do not live near the rental property.
Don't buy the wrong property, in the wrong area of Bulgaria
Buying real estate is a significant investment. Don't rely solely on your intuition. Gather the right information to make the best decision.
Can I run multiple Airbnbs under one name in Bulgaria right now?
Yes, operating multiple Airbnb listings under one name or entity is allowed in Bulgaria, and multi-listing hosts and small property management companies are common in the country's major short-term rental markets.
Bulgaria does not impose a maximum number of properties that one person or company can list for short-term rental, which is why you see professional property managers with dozens of listings in coastal and ski resort areas.
Each property still needs to be individually registered with the municipality, enrolled in ESTI, and compliant with tourist tax reporting, so the administrative burden scales with the number of listings you operate.
Do I need a short-term rental license or a business registration to host in Bulgaria as of 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, you need to register your accommodation activity with the local municipality and enroll in the ESTI system, but you do not necessarily need to form a company just to host short-term rentals in Bulgaria.
The registration process involves submitting an application to your municipality with proof of ownership, paying a fee of approximately 20 BGN per bed, and completing the online ESTI registration to enable guest reporting.
Required documents typically include your property ownership certificate or rental agreement (with landlord permission), a valid ID, and the completed municipal application form.
The initial registration fee is relatively low at around 20 BGN per bed, plus an annual patent tax ranging from 25 to 250 BGN per room depending on the municipality, making the total cost quite affordable compared to other European countries.
Are there neighborhood bans or restricted zones for Airbnb in Bulgaria as of 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, Bulgaria does not have national neighborhood bans or restricted zones that prohibit Airbnb operations in specific areas the way some major European cities do.
However, restrictions can come from building-level rules such as condominium association decisions, HOA bylaws prohibiting short-term rentals, or noise regulations in residential complexes.
The main reason certain buildings become restricted is neighbor complaints about noise, elevator overuse, or security concerns, which can lead condominium associations to vote against allowing short-term rentals.
We made this infographic to show you how property prices in Bulgaria compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.
How much can an Airbnb earn in Bulgaria in 2026?
What's the average and median nightly price on Airbnb in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, the average nightly price for an Airbnb in Bulgaria is approximately 75 EUR (around 147 BGN or 78 USD), while the median sits closer to 60 EUR (117 BGN or 63 USD) since luxury villas and resort properties pull the average upward.
The typical nightly price range covering roughly 80% of Airbnb listings in Bulgaria falls between 40 and 120 EUR (78 to 235 BGN, or 42 to 125 USD), with budget studios at the lower end and large coastal villas or ski chalets at the higher end.
The single biggest factor affecting nightly pricing in Bulgaria is location type, as ski resort properties in Bansko average around 97 USD while city apartments in Plovdiv sit closer to 67 USD, and coastal summer listings in Varna peak at 77 USD.
By the way, you will find much more detailed profitability rent ranges in our property pack covering the real estate market in Bulgaria.
How much do nightly prices vary by neighborhood in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, nightly prices in Bulgaria can vary by 50 to 100 EUR (98 to 196 BGN, or 52 to 104 USD) between the most expensive neighborhoods like Sofia's Lozenets or Varna's Sea Garden area and more affordable areas like Sofia's Lyulin or Varna's Vladislav Varnenchik district.
The three neighborhoods in Bulgaria with the highest average nightly prices are Sofia's Oborishte and Lozenets (averaging 80 to 100 EUR or 157 to 196 BGN), Varna's Greek Neighborhood near the Sea Garden (around 85 EUR or 166 BGN), and Bansko's Gondola area during ski season (reaching 100+ EUR or 196+ BGN).
The three neighborhoods with lower average nightly prices include Sofia's Studentski Grad (around 40 EUR or 78 BGN), Plovdiv's Trakia district (about 35 EUR or 68 BGN), and Burgas's Meden Rudnik (approximately 38 EUR or 74 BGN), though these areas still attract budget travelers and longer-stay guests.
What's the typical occupancy rate in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, the typical occupancy rate for Airbnb listings in Bulgaria averages around 52%, which translates to roughly 190 booked nights per year for a consistently active listing.
The realistic occupancy range covering most listings in Bulgaria runs from 35% in highly seasonal ski markets like Bansko to 60% in year-round city markets like Sofia, with coastal properties falling somewhere in between depending on summer performance.
Bulgaria's occupancy rates are generally competitive with other Southeastern European markets, though they remain below Western European capitals due to the country's stronger seasonality and lower overall tourism volume.
The single biggest factor for achieving above-average occupancy in Bulgaria is location within a tourist's mental map, meaning walkable proximity to city centers, beaches, or ski lifts, combined with responsive hosting and competitive pricing.
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What's the average monthly revenue per listing in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, the average monthly revenue per Airbnb listing in Bulgaria is approximately 1,250 EUR (around 2,445 BGN or 1,300 USD) for a typical entire-place apartment or house in a viable tourist location.
The realistic monthly revenue range covering roughly 80% of listings in Bulgaria spans from 700 to 2,000 EUR (1,370 to 3,910 BGN, or 730 to 2,080 USD), with lower earners in off-season months and higher performers in peak locations during summer or ski season.
Top-performing Airbnb listings in Bulgaria can achieve monthly revenues of 2,500 to 4,000 EUR (4,890 to 7,825 BGN, or 2,600 to 4,160 USD) during peak months, especially coastal villas with pools in August or ski-adjacent chalets in Bansko during February. A quick calculation: a well-located 2BR apartment charging 100 EUR per night at 70% occupancy would gross around 2,100 EUR monthly.
Finally, note that we give here all the information you need to buy and rent out a property in Bulgaria.
What's the typical low-season vs high-season monthly revenue in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, low-season monthly revenue in Bulgaria typically ranges from 500 to 900 EUR (980 to 1,760 BGN, or 520 to 940 USD), while high-season months can generate 1,800 to 3,500 EUR (3,520 to 6,845 BGN, or 1,875 to 3,645 USD) depending on property type and location.
For coastal properties, the high season runs from June through August with August being the most profitable month, while the low season spans November through March. For ski properties in Bansko, the peak is December through February, with a secondary bump in July and August for summer hiking tourism.
What's a realistic Airbnb monthly expense range in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, realistic monthly operating expenses for an Airbnb in Bulgaria range from 450 to 1,050 EUR (880 to 2,055 BGN, or 470 to 1,095 USD), depending on property size, turnover frequency, and whether you use professional management.
The single largest expense category for most Bulgarian Airbnb hosts is cleaning and laundry, typically costing 8 to 18 EUR per turnover, which adds up to 120 to 350 EUR monthly depending on how many bookings you receive.
Hosts in Bulgaria should expect to spend roughly 35 to 50% of gross revenue on operating expenses, covering cleaning, utilities (90 to 220 EUR monthly), platform fees (3 to 15%), consumables, and the mandatory tourist tax (0.20 to 3.00 BGN per guest per night).
If you want to go into more details, we also have a blog article detailing all the property taxes and fees in Bulgaria.
What's realistic monthly net profit and profit per available night for Airbnb in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, realistic monthly net profit for an Airbnb in Bulgaria ranges from 200 to 750 EUR (390 to 1,470 BGN, or 210 to 780 USD), with profit per available night averaging around 15 EUR (29 BGN or 16 USD) for typical listings and 25 EUR (49 BGN or 26 USD) for well-run properties.
The realistic monthly net profit range covering most listings in Bulgaria falls between 200 EUR for properties in weaker locations or with high expenses, 450 EUR for typical well-managed listings, and 750+ EUR for optimized properties in prime spots.
Hosts in Bulgaria typically achieve net profit margins of 30 to 45% of gross revenue, meaning for every 1,000 EUR earned, expect to keep 300 to 450 EUR after all operating costs.
The break-even occupancy rate for a typical Airbnb listing in Bulgaria sits around 25 to 30%, which means covering fixed monthly costs (utilities, building fees, platform fees) requires booking roughly 8 to 10 nights per month at average rates.
In our property pack covering the real estate market in Bulgaria, we explain the best strategies to improve your cashflows.
We did some research and made this infographic to help you quickly compare rental yields of the major cities in Bulgaria versus those in neighboring countries. It provides a clear view of how this country positions itself as a real estate investment destination, which might interest you if you’re planning to invest there.
How competitive is Airbnb in Bulgaria as of 2026?
How many active Airbnb listings are in Bulgaria as of 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, Bulgaria has approximately 28,000 active short-term rental listings across platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com, with roughly 10,300 concentrated in the five major markets of Sofia, Varna, Plovdiv, Burgas, and Bansko.
This number has grown steadily over the past few years as Bulgaria's tourism sector expanded, with visitor arrivals increasing 6.3% year-over-year in August 2025, and the long-term trend points toward continued supply growth as more property owners recognize the income potential.
Which neighborhoods are most saturated in Bulgaria as of 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, the most saturated neighborhoods for Airbnb in Bulgaria include Sofia's Tsentar (Center), Oborishte, and Lozenets, Plovdiv's Kapana and Old Town, Varna's Center and Greek Neighborhood, and Bansko's Gondola area.
These neighborhoods became saturated because they sit precisely where tourists naturally gravitate, meaning easy walking distance to landmarks, restaurants, and transport hubs, which created a clustering effect as hosts all targeted the same high-demand zones.
Relatively undersaturated neighborhoods offering opportunities for new hosts include Sofia's Ivan Vazov and Iztok districts, Plovdiv's edges near Kapana but outside the historic core, Varna's Sea Garden fringe areas, and Bansko's well-styled Old Town properties that differentiate from generic condo stock.
What local events spike demand in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, the main events spiking Airbnb demand in Bulgaria include the Sofia International Film Festival in March, the Bansko Jazz Festival from July 31 to August 9, the peak Black Sea summer season in July and August, and various winter ski weeks in Bansko and Borovets.
During these peak events, hosts typically see booking rates increase by 30 to 60% and nightly rates rise by 20 to 40% compared to normal periods, with the strongest effects in properties located within walking distance of event venues or seasonal attractions.
Hosts should adjust pricing and minimum-stay requirements at least 4 to 6 weeks before major events to capture early bookers, while blocking calendar gaps to avoid being left with unbookable single nights between reservations.
What occupancy differences exist between top and average hosts in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, top-performing Airbnb hosts in Bulgaria achieve occupancy rates of 62 to 70% in city markets, roughly 10 to 18 percentage points higher than the average host in the same area.
The average host in Bulgaria typically sits around 52% occupancy nationally, with significant variation by location, meaning the gap between top and average performers can translate to 50 to 70 additional booked nights per year.
New hosts in Bulgaria typically need 6 to 12 months to reach top-performer occupancy levels, as building reviews, optimizing listings, and learning pricing dynamics takes time even with a well-located property.
We give more details about the different Airbnb strategies to adopt in our property pack covering the real estate market in Bulgaria.
Which price points are most crowded, and where's the "white space" for new hosts in Bulgaria right now?
The nightly price range with the highest concentration of listings in Bulgaria falls between 40 and 75 EUR (78 to 147 BGN, or 42 to 78 USD), where most budget and mid-range studios and one-bedroom apartments compete heavily on reviews and pricing.
The "white space" opportunities for new hosts exist at higher price points of 100 to 150 EUR (196 to 293 BGN, or 104 to 156 USD), where family-ready two-bedroom apartments, coastal properties with private pools, and design-forward ski accommodations face less direct competition.
Property characteristics that allow new hosts to succeed in underserved segments include genuine two-bedroom layouts with real beds (not sofa beds), private outdoor space or pools on the coast, ski storage and boot-drying facilities in mountain areas, and distinctive interior design that photographs well.
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What property works best for Airbnb demand in Bulgaria right now?
What bedroom count gets the most bookings in Bulgaria as of 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, one-bedroom apartments get the most bookings in Bulgaria due to the dominance of couples and solo travelers in the country's tourism mix.
The estimated booking rate breakdown by bedroom count in Bulgaria shows studios and one-bedrooms capturing roughly 55 to 60% of total bookings, two-bedrooms taking 25 to 30%, and three-bedroom or larger properties accounting for 10 to 15%.
One-bedroom units perform best in Bulgaria because the largest traveler segment consists of couples on city breaks, beach holidays, or ski trips who want affordable, well-located accommodation without paying for extra space they do not need.
What property type performs best in Bulgaria in 2026?
As of the first half of 2026, apartments perform best for consistent year-round Airbnb income in Bulgaria, particularly in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, and Burgas where business and leisure travel sustains demand across seasons.
Occupancy rates across property types in Bulgaria show city apartments averaging 55 to 60%, resort condos and aparthotel units at 40 to 50% (due to seasonality), and villas or houses ranging from 35 to 55% depending on whether they offer pools or unique features.
Apartments outperform other property types in Bulgaria because they match the budget and space needs of the largest traveler segments, require lower maintenance than houses, and concentrate in walkable urban locations that guests prefer.
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 Bulgaria, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria Ministry of Tourism - Tourism Act | It's the official government home for Bulgaria's core tourism law. | We used it to anchor what Bulgaria legally treats as accommodation and hotelier activity. We cross-checked practical host obligations like registration and guest reporting against secondary sources. |
| European Commission - Tourism Act (EN translation) | It's an official EU-hosted English translation of Bulgaria's Tourism Act. | We used it to cite the legal structure behind registration and categorization and who administers it. We used it to verify interpretations against the actual legal text. |
| Bulgaria Ministry of Tourism - ESTI System | It's the official government page for Bulgaria's national guest-stay reporting system. | We used it to confirm ESTI exists, is mandatory for accommodation providers, and is administered by the Ministry. We treated this as the reference point for guest reporting duties. |
| EUR-Lex - EU Regulation 2024/1028 | EUR-Lex is the official database for EU legislation. | We used it to explain the EU-wide direction on platform and host registration numbers and data sharing. We used it to frame why enforcement requirements are tightening across EU markets. |
| Bulgaria Ministry of Finance - Tourist Tax | It's the official ministry page describing the tourist tax framework in Bulgarian law. | We used it to quantify the legally allowed per-night tourist tax range. We used it to build a realistic expense line item that varies by municipality. |
| National Statistical Institute - Tourism Statistics | NSI is Bulgaria's official statistics agency. | We used it to ground demand estimates using official arrivals and overnight trends rather than platform hype. We cross-referenced seasonality with coastal versus mountain patterns. |
| NSI - Accommodation Establishments | This is NSI's official dataset hub for accommodation activity in Bulgaria. | We used it to understand official definitions of nights, occupancy, and capacity. We used it as the official reality check against private STR dashboards. |
| AirDNA - Sofia Market Overview | AirDNA is a widely used STR data provider with a transparent market metrics approach. | We used it for comparable metrics like occupancy, ADR, and listing counts in Bulgaria's capital. We used it to produce country-level estimates by triangulating across multiple cities. |
| AirDNA - Varna Market Overview | It's the same established STR dataset specific to a key coastal market. | We used it to model summer-driven seasonality and coastal pricing. We also used it to identify common amenities and minimum-stay patterns among competitors. |
| AirDNA - Plovdiv Market Overview | It's a consistent data source for a major year-round cultural city. | We used it to contrast a city-break market versus sea and ski resorts. We used it to build neighborhood-level pricing intuition for central versus outer districts. |
| AirDNA - Burgas Market Overview | It's a consistent data source for a second major Black Sea hub. | We used it to benchmark a coastal gateway city that differs from nearby resort towns. We used it to inform realistic low-season performance expectations on the coast. |
| AirDNA - Bansko Market Overview | It's a consistent data source for Bulgaria's most international ski STR market. | We used it to model a winter-peaking market with a second summer bump. We used it to inform best property type guidance for mountain resorts. |
| Airbtics - Sofia STR Snapshot | It's a second STR analytics provider that lets us cross-check AirDNA's levels. | We used it to triangulate ADR, occupancy, and listing counts for Sofia rather than relying on one vendor. We used the overlap to set confident ranges and pick midpoints. |
| Airbtics - Varna STR Snapshot | It's another independent STR dataset for a key coastal market. | We used it to cross-check Varna's seasonal strength and revenue distribution. We used its most profitable month cues to validate our high and low season assumptions. |
| Festival Finder - Bansko Jazz Festival 2026 | It's a reputable festival directory used across Europe. | We used it to name a concrete demand-spike event with specific dates. We used it to show how event pricing can materially lift RevPAR in a small market. |
| Sofia International Film Festival - 2026 | It's an official event page for one of Bulgaria's biggest film festivals. | We used it to identify an annual shoulder-season demand spike in Sofia. We used it to justify pricing and minimum-stay tweaks during March. |
| LodgeCompliance - Bulgaria | It's a specialized compliance resource for short-term rental regulations. | We used it to verify registration requirements, penalty ranges, and reporting obligations. We cross-referenced its information with official government sources. |
| Roomspilot - Bulgarian Airbnb Regulations | It's a practical guide written for STR operators in Bulgaria. | We used it to detail specific registration steps, fees, and tax obligations. We validated its claims against official Ministry of Tourism sources. |
| Trading Economics - Bulgaria Tourist Arrivals | It aggregates official statistics into accessible time series. | We used it to confirm year-over-year tourism growth trends heading into 2026. We used arrival data to validate demand assumptions for our revenue estimates. |
| Investropa - Bulgaria Rents | It's our own regularly updated analysis of Bulgarian rental markets. | We used it for neighborhood-level rent data and utility cost estimates. We applied tourism premiums to long-term rent benchmarks to estimate STR pricing. |
We created this infographic to give you a simple idea of how much it costs to buy property in different parts of Bulgaria. As you can see, it breaks down price ranges and property types for popular cities in the country. We hope this makes it easier to explore your options and understand the market.