Listing an apartment, villa or riad on Airbnb or Booking.com does not constitute authorisation to operate.
These platforms allow you to present the property, record bookings and receive payments. They do not determine the property’s legal status and do not replace the formalities required under Moroccan regulations.
to rent out a property legally on a short-term basis in Marrakech, three questions must first be answered:
- Which legal category does the activity fall into?
- Who is officially responsible for operating it?
- What authorisation must be obtained for this specific property?
Only after this classification can the owner decide whether to operate the property themselves, use a concierge service or entrust the activity to a company.
What Moroccan regulations actually provide
The main framework is based on Law No. 80-14 on tourist establishments and other forms of tourist accommodation.
It recognises several categories of establishments, including:
- hotels;
- tourist residences;
- guest houses;
- riads;
- kasbahs;
- lodges;
- boarding houses;
- campsites.
It also regulates certain “other forms of tourist accommodation”, including accommodation in a private home, bivouac accommodation and alternative accommodation.
For tourist accommodation establishments falling into these categories, opening is subject to an operating authorisation. This authorisation notably requires provisional classification corresponding to the establishment’s type and category. An establishment may not be operated under a type different from the one authorised.
A widespread oversimplification must therefore be avoided:
The official texts examined do not provide for a general authorisation called an “Airbnb licence” that would automatically cover all apartments and villas.
The administration assesses matters according to the property, the activity actually carried out, the type of establishment and the declared operator.
The still-sensitive case of independent apartments and villas
The law precisely defines hotels, tourist residences, guest houses and riads. It also defines accommodation in a private home as the reception of tourists by an individual in the home where they have established their residence.
By contrast, the official texts do not create a general category entitled “independent Airbnb apartment” that automatically applies to every apartment in a residential co-ownership development.
This is an essential point.
An owner should therefore not claim that their apartment is compliant simply because:
- the listing has been accepted by Airbnb;
- a concierge service agrees to manage it;
- a company collects the bookings;
- other properties are already being operated in the development.
For an apartment or villa that does not clearly correspond to an existing category, the prudent approach is to present the project in detail to the regional or provincial representative of the Ministry of Tourism and the competent authority.
The application must describe:
- the property concerned;
- whole-property or room-by-room letting;
- whether the activity is occasional or permanent;
- any services offered;
- the owner’s identity;
- the identity of the intended operator;
- the role of the management company.
Guidance should be requested for this specific property, rather than a general answer to the question: “Is Airbnb legal in Morocco?”
Owner, operator and management company: three different roles
The owner
The owner legally owns the property.
They may operate it themselves or entrust its management to an individual or company. However, owning the property does not automatically give them the right to operate it under any tourist category.
The operator
The operator is the individual or legal entity that actually carries on the activity.
In particular, where Law No. 80-14 applies, they are responsible for:
- operating under the authorised category;
- administrative obligations;
- traveller declarations;
- retaining documents;
- checks relating to the operation.
The law requires the operators concerned to submit daily electronic declarations of traveller information on the day of arrival. It also provides for the collection of an identity document, the preparation of an individual accommodation form and its retention for one year.
The management company or concierge service
A concierge service may simply be a provider responsible for marketing and day-to-day management.
It may also act as a management company officially identified in the administrative file.
The official application form expressly distinguishes between:
- management by the owner;
- management by a management company;
- management by another individual.
Where a company is involved, the form requests its corporate name, address and the type of contractual arrangement concluded with the owner.
This recognition is important: the regulations allow an establishment to be managed by a company separate from its owner.
But this does not mean that a concierge service automatically legalises every property entrusted to it.
Does using a concierge service automatically make the property legal?
No.
A concierge service can assist with the formalities, prepare the file, represent the project holder where its mandate allows this or be declared as the management company.
However, it cannot:
- automatically turn a residential apartment into a tourist establishment;
- replace the authorisation attached to the property;
- use its commercial registration as tourist authorisation;
- give all its clients’ properties the benefit of a single, abstract authorisation;
- present as accommodation in a private home a property in which the owner does not reside.
The official authorisation template identifies a specific establishment, its address, type and category. It also mentions the application submitted by the investor or their representative.
It follows that an authorisation should not be presented as a simple general approval of the concierge service valid for any property.
Two arrangements are possible with a concierge service
The owner remains the operator
Under this first arrangement, the owner remains legally responsible for the activity.
The concierge service acts as a provider or agent. Depending on the contract, it may be responsible for:
- preparing the file;
- following up the formalities;
- managing listings;
- making certain declarations;
- representing the owner before certain parties.
The contract must nevertheless state that the owner remains the operator and clearly define the delegated tasks.
A vague formula such as “the concierge service takes care of everything” does not establish who legally bears the obligations.
The company takes over management of the establishment
Under this second arrangement, the company is officially incorporated into the structure as the management company.
The administrative form provides for this possibility and requests the nature of the contractual relationship between the owner and the company.
This nevertheless requires complete consistency between:
- the contract concluded with the owner;
- the administrative file;
- the operator’s identity;
- the authorisation obtained;
- invoicing;
- collection of income;
- administrative and tax declarations.
Creating an SARL or signing a management mandate never replaces any authorisation that may be required for the property.
Registration with the commercial register gives the company legal existence. It does not, by itself, constitute authorisation to operate a tourist establishment.
Can a concierge service complete the formalities on the owner’s behalf?
It can prepare and follow up the formalities if its role is formalised.
The official templates allow the application to be submitted by an investor or their legal representative. They also provide for the involvement of a management company separate from the owner.
However, three functions must be distinguished:
- prepare the file ;
- represent the applicant ;
- become the management or operating company.
A concierge service may perform one or more of these functions, but they must be clearly stated in the documents.
Before entrusting it with the formalities, the owner should ask:
- Under which category will the property be declared?
- Who will be listed as the operator?
- Will the company act as provider, representative or management company?
- To which address will the authorisation be attached?
- What copy of the authorisation will be provided to the owner?
- Who will submit the traveller declarations?
- Who will declare the income for tax purposes?
A company unable to answer these questions precisely is not offering genuine compliance. It is offering only commercial management of the listing.
The case of a riad or guest house
For a riad or guest house operated as a tourist establishment, the administrative process is more clearly established.
The law recognises riads and guest houses as categories of tourist accommodation establishments. The application for provisional classification and authorisation is submitted to the Regional Investment Centre. The official template provides for it to be submitted by the investor or their legal representative.
The form requests, in particular:
- the establishment’s type and category;
- the applicant’s identity;
- the trading name;
- the address;
- the owner;
- any management company;
- the type of contract concluded with it.
A concierge service can therefore assist with or manage an authorised riad, but it does not automatically turn a private riad into an authorised guest house.
Before purchasing a riad for sale in Marrakech presented as suitable for tourist operation, the buyer should request copies of the existing authorisations and check that they correspond to the activity actually carried out.
The case of accommodation in a private home
Accommodation in a private home is subject to a specific regime.
The law defines it as a family-run activity allowing an individual to accommodate tourists in the home where they have established their residence. This regime therefore does not naturally correspond to an investor operating several apartments in which they do not reside.
Since the regulatory provisions published in December 2025, the application has been submitted against an acknowledgement of receipt to the competent local authority.
The file includes, in particular:
- the application form;
- a copy of the responsible person’s identity card;
- a copy of the insurance contract;
- photographs of the bedrooms and common areas;
- the occupancy permit or certificate provided for by the text;
- the signed specifications document.
The local authority then forwards the file to the regional or provincial representative of the Tourism authorities and the relevant departments. The decision must be made within thirty days of submission of the file, and the authorisation is issued for five renewable years.
In this specific case, the administrative process is therefore clearly defined.
The case of an apartment in a co-ownership development
For an apartment in a residential co-ownership development, two analyses must be carried out separately.
Tourist classification
It must be determined whether the proposed activity falls within a recognised category or requires specific guidance from the administration.
The presence of a concierge service does not answer this question.
Compatibility with the co-ownership rules
The co-ownership regulations, the designated use of the building and the decisions of the general meeting must be examined.
The question is not simply whether the word “Airbnb” appears in the regulations. More broadly, the clauses relating to the following must be checked:
- the building’s residential designation;
- commercial or professional activities;
- the use of communal areas;
- repeated rentals;
- obligations imposed on occupants.
Before purchasing an apartment for sale in Marrakech for exclusively seasonal operation, it is therefore unwise to rely solely on the seller’s or concierge service’s verbal assurance.
The case of a villa
A villa may fall into different situations:
- occasional renting of the entire property;
- permanent operation;
- room-by-room letting;
- guest house;
- an activity organised with a management company.
The law defines a guest house as a commercial establishment taking the form of a villa or house and offering bedrooms or suites, potentially with additional services.
The classification therefore depends on how the activity actually operates, not on the title chosen for the listing.
Before purchasing a villa for sale in Marrakech for short-term rental, it must be clarified whether it will be let in its entirety or operated as an accommodation establishment.
The legal procedure to follow
1. Describe the project precisely
The owner must prepare a precise description covering:
- the nature of the property;
- address;
- whole-property or room-by-room letting;
- frequency of operation;
- whether or not the owner resides in the property;
- any services offered;
- the identity of the person who will collect the income;
- any involvement of a company.
2. Identify the operator
It must be decided who will legally carry on the activity:
- the owner;
- a company specifically incorporated for this purpose;
- a management company;
- another authorised person.
This choice must be consistent with the contract, the administrative application and the tax treatment.
3. Formalise the relationship with the concierge service
The contract must state precisely whether the concierge service acts as:
- a provider;
- an agent;
- a representative;
- a management company.
It must also allocate administrative, tax and contractual responsibilities.
4. Obtain the project’s administrative classification
For a riad, guest house or other classified establishment, the file follows the prescribed process through the Regional Investment Centre.
For accommodation in a private home, the file is submitted to the local authority.
For an apartment or detached villa that does not clearly correspond to a category, written guidance must be requested before presenting the operation as compliant.
5. Obtain the applicable authorisation
Where the activity falls under Law No. 80-14, the operation must comply with the authorisation corresponding to the declared type and category.
The law provides for a fine of 50,000 to 500,000 dirhams for opening a tourist establishment or operating another form of tourist accommodation within its scope without the required authorisation. This sanction must be stated precisely: it applies to activities legally governed by Law No. 80-14 and, by itself, does not automatically classify every Airbnb listing.
6. Organise obligations following authorisation
Tourist authorisation does not replace:
- tax obligations;
- company formalities;
- traveller declarations;
- compliance with the co-ownership regulations;
- other authorisations required by the regulations.
The law also specifies that tourist classification does not exempt an establishment from obtaining other necessary authorisations or licences.
Documents to request from a concierge service
Before signing, the owner should request:
- a recent extract from the commercial register;
- the company’s corporate purpose;
- the management contract template;
- the identity of the person who will be declared as operator;
- the proposed administrative procedure for the property;
- a copy of the authorisation once obtained;
- proof that the address and category correspond to the property;
- the traveller e-declaration procedure;
- a written explanation of invoicing and income declaration.
The answer “our company is registered and we already manage several Airbnbs” is not sufficient.
The organisations to contact
Ministry of Tourism
The official portal dedicated to tourist accommodation brings together Law No. 80-14, implementing decrees, orders and official administrative documents.
Regional Investment Centre
The official procedure for provisional classification and operating authorisation concerns classified tourist accommodation establishments.
A project holder in Marrakech may also consult the CRI Marrakech-Safi.
Local authority
It notably receives applications relating to accommodation in a private home and forwards them to the Tourism authorities and other relevant administrations.
OMPIC
The Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property is involved in the creation and registration of companies.
Its role concerns the company’s legal structure. It does not replace tourist authorisation.
Conclusion: a concierge service can complete the formalities, but it does not replace the legal right
Using a concierge service can simplify preparation of the file and administrative management.
But the presence of a company is not enough to make an activity compliant.
Compliance rests on four elements that must correspond to one another:
- The property actually being operated
- The legal category of the activity
- The identity of the operator
- The authorisation issued for this project
A reputable concierge service must be able to explain precisely its role in this chain.
It must be able to say whether it acts as a simple provider, representative or management company identified in the file.
Above all, it must be able to demonstrate that the authorisation obtained corresponds to the property, address, type of activity and declared operator.
For broader context, the article Airbnb in Marrakech: short-term rental enters a new phase analyses market developments and the gradual strengthening of its regulatory framework.
For a property purchase in Marrakech, legal verification should begin before signing, not after the listing is published.
General information verified as at 1 August 2026 on the basis of the official texts available. The classification of an apartment or independent villa depends on the specific project and must be confirmed with the competent administrations and advisers.
