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9090 days/yearimportant threshold – not a blanket banUrbanHome · Airbnb Lugano 2026
Airbnb in Lugano 2026: 90-day rule, registration and permits
Anyone letting an apartment or holiday property in Lugano through Airbnb, Booking or a similar platform in 2026 must comply with several Ticino rules at the same time. The often-mentioned 90-day threshold is not a blanket Airbnb cap: it mainly helps determine whether tourist letting remains exempt from a building permit and which accommodation rules apply.
Author: Nikita von Niederhäuser, UrbanHome real estate expertUpdated: 29 October 2026 · Reading time: approx. 16 minutes
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IDIdentification numbermust appear in online and offline advertisements03
24hGuest notificationNO-LEAR guests reported to cantonal police within 24 hours04
>6Larger propertymore than 6 beds + more than 90 days: check LEARKey point
90 days is not a blanket Airbnb maximum in Lugano.
The 90-day threshold appears in several parts of Ticino building and accommodation law. Bed capacity, hotel-type services, the specific use of the property and municipal building practice also matter. The individual case should therefore be checked before publishing a listing.
Airbnb · Lugano · Ticino · 2026
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Up to 90 days
In a building zone, tourist letting that is not subject to LEAR and does not exceed 90 days per calendar year can in principle be exempt from a building permit. Prior notification to the municipality is still required and stricter municipal rules remain reserved. [3]
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More than 90 days
Once the 90-day threshold is exceeded, that building-permit exemption no longer applies. Lugano treats the intention to let a home for tourist short stays for more than 90 days per year as a use change that must be declared; the exact permit requirement should be clarified with the private building division. [3]
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Days are not the only test
LEAR excludes, among other things, accommodation for up to six people from its scope. Larger properties let for more than 90 days may, however, require a cantonal accommodation authorisation. [4]
90-day rule 2026
What do 90 days actually mean in Lugano?
The number 90 does not simply separate “legal” from “illegal”. It mainly influences which procedure applies to the property.
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Up to 90 days/year
Tourist short-term letting
Not a general Airbnb approval, but under Art. 3 para. 1 lit. p RLE tourist letting in a building zone can be exempt from a building permit if the conditions are met. Notification to the municipality remains required.
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More than 90 days/year
Building and use review
The simplified exemption falls away. Lugano monitors such uses and, depending on the case, requires a building-law review or authorisation for tourist accommodation use.
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More than 6 beds + >90 days
LEAR procedure
Properties with more than six beds that are let for more than 90 days and do not yet hold a cantonal authorisation must, according to official Ticino information, follow the LEAR procedure.
90 days is not a blanket Airbnb maximum in Lugano.
The 90-day threshold appears in several parts of Ticino building and accommodation law. Bed capacity, hotel-type services, the specific use of the property and municipal building practice also matter. The individual case should therefore be checked before publishing a listing.
Registration
6How to register an Airbnb in Lugano correctly
Registration, identification number, guest notification and tourist charges are separate obligations. This sequence helps organise the process. [1]
Ticino Turismo · Lugano RegionAirbnb · Booking · Short-term rental
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Classify the property
Classify the property
Check bed capacity, annual letting days, hotel-type services and the property’s existing use.
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Register the accommodation
Register the accommodation
Accommodation with 1 to 6 beds and certain rentals under 90 days are registered through the Ticino Turismo platform.
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Add the identification number
Add the identification number
The number must appear in every online listing, on your own website and in offline advertising.
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Check municipality / building authority
Check municipality / building authority
For tourist use up to 90 days, municipal notification is relevant; for longer or more intensive use, involve Lugano’s private building division.
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Notify guests
Notify guests
For accommodation outside LEAR, the arrival of every overnight guest must be reported electronically to cantonal police within 24 hours.
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Account for tourist charges
Account for tourist charges
Visitor tax and, where applicable, promotion tax must be handled through the competent regional tourism organisation or the applicable platform model.
Permits
When does an Airbnb in Lugano need a permit?
Registration alone does not replace any required building or accommodation authorisation. [4]
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≤ 90 days and NO LEAR
Notification may replace a building permit
In a building zone, tourist letting for up to 90 days can be exempt from a building permit if the statutory conditions are met. It still has to be notified to the municipality.
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> 90 days
Check building procedure
Once 90 days are exceeded, the special exemption no longer applies. Lugano uses building-law procedures for tourist short-term use where required.
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> 6 beds and > 90 days
LEAR may apply
Larger accommodation businesses may additionally need a cantonal authorisation as an accommodation establishment without a restaurant.
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Condominium / rented home
Private-law rules also matter
Tenants generally need the landlord’s consent for paid subletting. In condominium ownership, the regulations and owners’ resolutions may restrict short-term letting.
Charges & notifications
Visitor tax, guest notification and regional duties
Since 1 January 2025, Ticino’s visitor tax for rooms, holiday apartments and holiday homes is generally CHF 2.00 per overnight stay; the cantonal decree also sets CHF 2.00 for accommodation sold through direct-collection online platforms. The exact settlement route depends on the accommodation category and sales channel. [6]
Airbnb registration does not replace guest notification
Registered NO-LEAR accommodation must still report guests within the prescribed time to cantonal police. Tourist charges are handled separately through the competent regional tourism organisation or the relevant platform model. [2]
Lugano today
How large is Lugano’s short-term rental market?
The latest figures published by the City come from Lugano Region and show that short-term accommodation is no longer a marginal phenomenon. [5]
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489Hostsregistered accommodation providers in 202502
1,127Apartments/housestourist properties registered in 202503
3,276Bedsregistered capacity in 2025In October 2025, the City of Lugano also stated that the Territorial Control Group regularly checks online platforms and cross-checks with Lugano Region whether hosts have an identification number and are properly registered. Irregularities can lead to on-site inspections and reports to cantonal police. [5]
Checklist
Airbnb in Lugano 2026: check before you list
These eight points reduce the risk of publishing a property that is not correctly registered or authorised.
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Airbnb · LuganoChecklist
How many beds will be offered?
How many days per calendar year will the property be let to tourists?
Will hotel-type services be provided?
Is the accommodation registered with Ticino Turismo?
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2026Checklist
Is the identification number shown in the listing?
Has municipal notification / the building-law question been clarified?
Is electronic guest notification set up?
Have landlord consent or condominium regulations been checked?
Sources
Official sources and legal status
This overview is based on current Ticino legislation, official registration information and the published practice of the City of Lugano. Legal and data status: 29 October 2026.
- Ticino Turismo: Registration and identification number
- Canton Ticino: Guest notification to cantonal police (NO LEAR)
- Canton Ticino: RLE, Art. 3 para. 1 lit. p
- Canton Ticino: LEAR / RLEAR
- City of Lugano: reply to Interpellation 1484, 9 October 2025
- Ticino Turismo: Tourist charges for accommodation providers
- Fedlex: Code of Obligations Art. 262 subletting
More on the topic
Related guides
UrbanHome articles already published on short-term letting in Switzerland.
Direct answer
Frequently asked questions about Airbnb in Lugano in 2026
Direct answers on the 90-day threshold, registration, identification number, guest notification and permits.
12FAQ
No. In Ticino, 90 days is mainly a regulatory threshold affecting building and accommodation law, not a blanket annual ban.
Not automatically. Under Art. 3 para. 1 lit. p RLE, tourist letting in a building zone can be exempt from a building permit for up to 90 days if the conditions are met, but municipal notification is still required.
The specific building-permit exemption no longer applies. The use should be clarified with the City and its private building division; additional permits may be required depending on the property.
The official registration platform covers, among others, all accommodation with 1 to 6 beds and accommodation let without hotel services for less than 90 days per year.
Yes. Ticino requires the identification number to be shown on online platforms, websites and offline publications.
Yes. For NO-LEAR accommodation, the host must electronically report every overnight guest to cantonal police within 24 hours.
Official Ticino information specifically points to properties with more than six beds let for more than 90 days per year and not yet authorised as cases that must follow the LEAR procedure.
Accommodation providers must settle tourist charges under Ticino tourism law. For holiday apartments and comparable accommodation, the visitor tax is generally CHF 2.00 per overnight stay since 2025.
Yes. The City says the Territorial Control Group regularly reviews information published on online platforms and checks registration with Lugano Region.
Generally yes. Paid subletting is governed by Art. 262 of the Swiss Code of Obligations; conditions and scope should be disclosed and ideally approved in writing.
Yes. In addition to public law, condominium regulations and owners’ resolutions can restrict intensive short-term letting.
Use Ticino Turismo or Lugano Region for registration and tourism charges, cantonal police for guest notification, and the City of Lugano / private building division for building and use questions.
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