Airbnb in Marrakech: regulations, developments and the future of short-term letting

For several years, letting an apartment or villa on a short-term basis in Marrakech could seem relatively straightforward.

All that was required was to furnish the property, take a few photographs, publish a listing on Airbnb or Booking.com and organise guests’ arrival.

This model still exists. But it is changing rapidly.

In Marrakech, the number of properties offered by the night continues to rise, while the Moroccan authorities seek to identify, register and regulate more effectively a tourism offering that has developed largely outside the traditional hotel sector.

The market is not necessarily moving towards an Airbnb ban.

It is moving towards something else: the gradual professionalisation of short-term letting, with greater competition, more formalities, more inspections and higher quality requirements.

For owners and investors, the question is therefore no longer simply how much an apartment or riad can generate.

They must now ask themselves:

• whether the property can legally be operated;
• whether the co-ownership arrangements and the building’s permitted use allow it;
• whether the advertised income is genuinely sustainable;
• whether the property will remain competitive as supply increases;
• and whether the investment can remain viable if regulations become stricter.

The short-term letting market continues to expand in Marrakech

Available data show a spectacular increase in supply.

According to AirDNA, Marrakech had 21,986 active short-term rental listings in July 2026, aggregating properties available on Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com and eliminating, as far as possible, duplicates across platforms.

The number of active listings is estimated to have increased by 17% in one year. Average occupancy was approximately 49%, up 3.8% on the previous year.

These figures confirm Marrakech’s appeal, but they also reveal a less comfortable reality for investors.

Over the same period:

• average annual revenue per listing increased by only 0.5%;
• average daily rates fell by 7.4%;
• revenue per available night declined by 5.3%.

In other words, supply is increasing far faster than the revenue generated by each property.

This is probably the market’s most important change.

Tourist demand remains strong, but it must now be shared among a much larger number of apartments, villas, riads and houses listed online.

Marrakech is welcoming more travellers, but this does not guarantee profitability for every property

Morocco’s tourism environment remains favourable.

In the first half of 2026, arrivals at border posts increased by 6%. Overnight stays recorded in classified tourist accommodation establishments rose by 9% during the first five months of the year, while tourism receipts in foreign currency increased by 16%.

Marrakech benefits directly from this momentum thanks to its international profile, air connectivity and diverse property stock.

But an increase in tourist numbers does not mean that every owner will earn more.

When the supply of accommodation grows faster than demand, travellers have more choice. They can compare more easily:

• price;
• location;
• the quality of the photographs;
• previous reviews;
• air conditioning;
• the swimming pool;
• the terrace;
• internet connection;
• the quality of the welcome;
• cleanliness;
• and the host’s responsiveness.

Ordinary properties are then forced either to reduce their rates or to accept more unoccupied nights.

Short-term letting in Marrakech therefore remains an important market. But it is no longer an automatic investment.

Airbnb is a platform, not an operating authorisation

A misunderstanding persists among many owners.

The fact that Airbnb or Booking.com accepts the publication of a listing does not mean that the property may be operated without further checks.

These platforms handle marketing and bookings. They do not replace administrative authorisations, tax obligations, co-ownership rules or the safety standards applicable in Morocco.

The principal framework is based on Law No. 80-14 relating to tourist establishments and other forms of tourist accommodation.

This law has been supplemented in particular by:

• Decree No. 2-23-441;
• the rules relating to the electronic declaration of travellers;
• the new classification standards;
• and several administrative orders published between 2024 and 2025.

The Ministry of Tourism presents this reform as a means of improving the quality, competitiveness and visibility of Morocco’s accommodation offering.

What Moroccan law provides for tourist accommodation

Law No. 80-14 regulates several categories of establishments, including:

• hotels;
• tourist residences;
• guesthouses;
• riads;
• kasbahs;
• lodges;
• boarding houses;
• campsites.

It also provides for other forms of tourist accommodation, including bivouacs, accommodation with local residents and certain alternative forms.

Operating a classified tourist establishment is subject to authorisation and obligations relating in particular to safety, insurance, the quality of facilities, traveller information and administrative inspections.

The law requires, in particular, operators covered by this regime to take out insurance covering fire risks, theft of guests’ belongings and civil liability.

It also establishes a classification and periodic inspection system. For certain categories, these inspections may include a so-called “mystery” visit, intended to verify the actual quality of the services provided.

An Airbnb apartment is not automatically “accommodation with local residents”

The concept of accommodation with local residents is sometimes used to justify any type of seasonal letting.

Yet the legal definition is narrower.

The law describes accommodation with local residents as a family activity allowing a private individual to host tourists in the home where they themselves live.

This category therefore relates more closely to welcoming travellers in the owner’s residence than to remotely operating several entire apartments.

An investor who buys several studios in Guéliz to let throughout the year is not necessarily in the same situation as a private individual offering a room in their home.

This distinction is likely to become increasingly important as the administration differentiates occasional small-scale hosts from professional operators.

The main issue: standalone apartments and villas still fit traditional categories only with difficulty

The Moroccan framework was historically designed for identifiable establishments: hotels, tourist residences, guesthouses, riads or accommodation with local residents.

The explosion in entire properties let by the night has created a category that is far less straightforward to regulate.

An apartment in a conventional residential development is not automatically a tourist residence.

A villa let for a few months a year is not necessarily a guesthouse.

Conversely, a riad operated in its entirety with several rooms, staff and services may more clearly resemble a professional tourist establishment.

In 2023, the Ministry of Tourism stated that the new provisions were intended to help regulate new forms of accommodation and offers distributed through platforms.

However, in 2025, several professionals interviewed by the economic press still considered that Airbnb-style furnished lettings were not sufficiently covered by the existing classification and authorisation mechanisms. Médias24 then referred to the preparation of an additional text intended to incorporate unclassified accommodation into the official system.

The situation therefore cannot be summed up as “Airbnb is banned” or “Airbnb is completely unrestricted”.

The legal framework exists, but its application to individually operated apartments and villas is still being structured.

Can an apartment be legally let on Airbnb in Marrakech?

Short-term letting is not generally prohibited in Marrakech.

But this does not mean that it is possible in every property, in any form and without formalities.

Several factors must be examined before beginning operations.

The property’s status and use

The land title, planning documents and existing authorisations must correspond to the intended use.

A significant alteration, unauthorised extension or change of use may create difficulties unrelated to the platform being used.

The co-ownership regulations

In a block of flats, the co-ownership regulations must be read before purchase and before letting.

The following must be checked:

• the building’s permitted use;
• whether commercial activity is prohibited;
• the rules governing access to common areas;
• restrictions relating to lettings;
• and decisions taken by the general meeting.

Moroccan co-ownership law requires regulations governing, in particular, the use of private and common areas. In the absence of specific regulations, standard regulations may apply.

It would therefore be imprudent to claim that a co-ownership can never oppose Airbnb.

Conversely, a building manager cannot simply invent a prohibition without a basis in the building’s documents or a legally valid decision.

Each residence must be considered individually.

Nuisance caused to neighbours

Even when letting is authorised, the owner remains responsible for the consequences of operating the property.

Late-night arrivals, parties, noise, damage, improper use of the swimming pool or constant comings and goings can cause conflicts with residents.

An apartment that is profitable on paper can become impossible to operate if relations with the co-ownership deteriorate completely.

The owner’s right to operate the property

Anyone operating a property must be able to demonstrate their right to do so.

Where the operator is a tenant, agent or property-management company, the lease, management mandate and owner’s authorisation must be checked.

Subletting a property without a clear right to do so creates a contractual and legal risk distinct from tourism regulations.

Is there a 120-day annual limit in Morocco?

No, no general national 120-day limit comparable to the one applied in France appears in Moroccan Law No. 80-14 or in the principal implementing texts published by the Ministry of Tourism.

This information is nevertheless often repeated on Moroccan websites that reproduce, sometimes almost word for word, the French rules.

The following should not be imported automatically into Morocco:

• the French 120-day limit;
• the French energy rating;
• the French municipal registration number;
• or the change-of-use rules applied in Paris.

Morocco has its own legal framework.

Restrictions may nevertheless arise from a specific authorisation, co-ownership regulations, the property’s permitted use, an administrative decision or future local measures.

Traveller declarations: a central obligation within the tourism framework

For establishments and forms of accommodation falling under Law No. 80-14, traveller data must be declared electronically each day.

The operator must request identification, have an individual accommodation form completed and retain the documents for one year so that they can be presented to the competent authorities.

This obligation addresses security and statistical monitoring.

It should also play a central role in the future regularisation of apartments and villas offered on platforms.

In time, it seems logical that the administration will seek to link more effectively:

• the property;
• its owner;
• its operator;
• bookings;
• hosted travellers;
• and declared income.

This is a probable development inferred from systems already introduced, not the official announcement of a single database already operational for all Airbnb listings.

Airbnb income must be declared

Receiving payments through a foreign platform does not make income invisible or exempt.

Rents and income generated by short-term letting must be declared in Morocco according to the classification applicable to the activity.

This classification depends in particular on:

• the owner’s status;
• whether the operation is occasional or professional;
• the number of properties;
• the services provided;
• whether a company is used;
• and any tourist classification.

A simple property letting does not necessarily receive the same treatment as an organised activity offering reception, frequent cleaning, catering, staff and hotel-style services.

The Moroccan General Tax Code 2026 is the reference tax text, but its practical application must be confirmed with an accountant or tax adviser based on the project’s precise structure.

Presenting a single “Airbnb tax rate” would therefore be misleading.

What penalties does the law provide for?

Law No. 80-14 provides for significant penalties where an establishment or form of accommodation within its scope is operated without the required authorisation.

Operating without authorisation may be subject to a fine of between 50,000 and 500,000 dirhams.

Penalties also exist for failure to hold insurance, failure to comply with declaration obligations or operating under a category different from the one authorised.

These amounts should not, however, be used to claim that anyone with an Airbnb listing automatically risks a fine of 500,000 dirhams.

The first step is to determine which legal category the activity falls into.

It is precisely this classification of standalone apartments and villas that future texts will need to clarify.

What should change from 2027

The most likely scenario is not the abrupt closure of all Airbnb lettings.

Morocco needs additional accommodation capacity to support tourism growth and major forthcoming events.

Removing several thousand apartments, villas and riads offered to visitors would be economically difficult to justify.

The more likely approach is the gradual integration of informal supply into the declared tourist accommodation sector.

An additional text to Law No. 80-14 has notably been announced to integrate unclassified rental properties more effectively. Projections reported by Médias24 referred to a significant statistical effect from 2027, resulting from the inclusion of overnight stays previously absent from official data.

This development will probably rest on several pillars.

A clearer regime for entire properties

Apartments and villas offered repeatedly will need a clearly defined category, distinct from a traditional hotel and accommodation with local residents.

Without such a category, the administration can neither regularise bona fide owners effectively nor properly oversee professional operations.

More digital procedures

Applications for the classification and authorisation of tourist establishments are already moving towards electronic procedures and processing through regional investment centres.

A procedure adapted to furnished lettings should logically be simpler than a complete hotel classification; otherwise, a large part of the market will remain informal.

Better identification of listings

In time, platforms may be required to display or verify an administrative reference, authorisation or registration number.

As at August 2026, this measure has not yet been established as a general obligation for all Moroccan listings.

But it is one of the most plausible mechanisms for preventing the marketing of undeclared properties.

More effective tax collection

Once properties, owners and bookings are identified more effectively, income will be easier to reconcile with tax returns.

Structured professionals will be less exposed than owners who have been collecting income for several years without declarations or accounts.

More safety inspections

Insurance, electrical installations, gas, access, swimming pools, maximum capacity and safety equipment should become more important criteria.

The mere fact that a property is attractive does not guarantee that it is suitable for regularly hosting travellers.

Could regulation make Airbnb disappear from Marrakech?

That is unlikely.

Short-term letting meets genuine demand.

Families, groups of friends and travellers staying for longer periods often seek more space and independence than a hotel room provides.

Villas, apartments with kitchens and private riads therefore complement the hotel offering.

Regulation could, however, eliminate some of the most vulnerable listings:

• properties operated without the owner’s authorisation;
• apartments incompatible with the co-ownership regulations;
• properties presenting safety risks;
• operators unable to declare their income;
• lettings generating repeated nuisance;
• listings whose profitability cannot support the costs of compliance.

The total number of listings may continue to increase while the owners active in the market undergo substantial turnover.

Will short-term letting remain profitable in Marrakech?

Yes, some properties will remain profitable.

But the claim that an apartment automatically generates twice as much on Airbnb as through a long-term let is far too simplistic.

Gross turnover must be reduced by numerous costs:

• platform commissions;
• concierge services;
• cleaning and laundry;
• consumables;
• water and electricity;
• internet;
• air-conditioning maintenance;
• furniture replacement;
• repairs;
• periods without bookings;
• insurance;
• taxation;
• co-ownership charges;
• and any administrative costs.

A long-term let occupied for twelve months can sometimes generate a more attractive net income than a poorly managed Airbnb whose turnover appears higher.

Médias24’s study of rental investments also noted that short-term letting could generate greater income, while requiring considerably more intensive management.

Average owners will be most exposed

AirDNA data already show compression in average daily rates and revenue per available night, despite increased occupancy.

This probably means that owners are accepting more bookings by reducing their prices.

The most vulnerable properties are those with no distinctive advantage:

• ordinary studio in an average development;
• dark or noisy apartment;
• generic décor;
• no terrace;
• poor internet connection;
• impersonal welcome;
• poor-quality photographs;
• inconsistent reviews;
• a location that systematically requires a car.

These properties will not necessarily disappear.

But their profitability will depend more heavily on price and therefore on very strict cost management.

Which properties should prove most resilient?

Genuinely functional central apartments

In Guéliz or Hivernage, apartments combining location, natural light, a terrace, lift, parking and well-managed communal areas should remain sought-after.

An investor can browse apartments for sale in Marrakech, but should analyse the co-ownership regulations before considering a seasonal letting yield.

An apartment suited to residential living is not automatically suited to frequent guest arrivals and departures.

Riads with a legally robust file

Riads have a strong identity and can offer an experience that is difficult to reproduce in a modern apartment.

But operating one involves more constraints: access, safety, staff, maintenance, compliance of works and possible classification.

Before looking for a riad for sale in Marrakech, it is important to define clearly whether it is a private residence, an occasional entire-property let or a genuine professional accommodation project.

Well-connected and properly maintained villas

Groups and families can generate substantial demand for villas with swimming pools.

But operating costs are also much higher: gardens, swimming pools, security, air conditioning, water, electricity, cleaning and maintenance.

A remote villa may command a spectacular rate in high season while remaining difficult to let for the rest of the year.

Properties located in areas aligned with demand

Not every neighbourhood appeals to the same clientele.

The Medina, Guéliz, Hivernage, the Palmeraie, golf estates and peripheral roads have different uses, rates and constraints.

The page dedicated to Marrakech neighbourhoods allows these areas to be compared before preparing a rental scenario.

The right investment should work without a perfect scenario

A sound project should not depend on twelve exceptional months, an unrealistic occupancy rate or permanently rising prices.

Before buying property in Marrakech to let by the night, an investor should establish at least three scenarios:

A favourable scenario, with high occupancy and strong rates.

A realistic scenario, based on the performance of genuinely comparable properties.

An unfavourable scenario, incorporating lower prices, several weak months and additional compliance costs.

The project remains sound when its financing and costs can be supported in the realistic scenario, or even in the unfavourable scenario.

When it is profitable only under the most optimistic assumption, it is not a controlled investment. It is a gamble.

The ten checks to carry out before buying

Before any acquisition intended for short-term letting in Marrakech, the following must be checked:

1. The land title and the property’s physical compliance.
2. The property’s administrative permitted use.
3. The co-ownership regulations.
4. Recent decisions of the general meeting.
5. The authorisation procedure applicable to the project.
6. Traveller declaration obligations.
7. Insurance that genuinely covers tourist letting.
8. The applicable tax regime.
9. The net performance of comparable properties.
10. The possibility of switching to a medium- or long-term let.

The final point is essential.

A good investment property should have a fallback option. If regulations change or short-term letting becomes less profitable, the property should be capable of being let annually or resold without relying solely on a market of Airbnb investors.

What developments should be expected by 2030?

By 2030, short-term letting should remain an important component of Marrakech’s tourism sector.

But its operation should increasingly resemble a genuine professional accommodation business.

The most likely developments are:

• more precise identification of operated properties;
• a clearer distinction between occasional activity and professional operation;
• simplified but more systematic authorisation procedures;
• broader electronic declaration of travellers;
• more tax and administrative inspections;
• greater involvement by co-ownerships;
• mandatory improvement of safety standards;
• greater market concentration among better-structured operators.

Short-term letting should therefore not disappear.

Improvised, undeclared short-term letting based on fanciful profitability estimates, on the other hand, will become increasingly vulnerable.

Conclusion: Airbnb remains an opportunity, but is no longer a shortcut

Marrakech’s Airbnb market continues to grow, driven by the city’s tourism appeal and by the preference of many travellers for independent accommodation.

But the 17% increase in listings in one year, while average revenue per property barely increased, shows that the market is reaching maturity.

The coming years should be shaped by two simultaneous developments:

Continued strong tourism demand.

Much stronger regulation and competition.

Well-located properties that are properly authorised, professionally operated and genuinely suited to travellers’ expectations will be able to continue generating attractive income.

Ordinary, overpriced or poorly managed properties will face greater pressure on their rates.

Undeclared or legally vulnerable operations will gradually face greater exposure.

In Marrakech, the future of short-term letting therefore cannot be reduced to whether Airbnb will be authorised or banned.

The real question is now:

Which owners will be able to turn a simple property listed online into a profitable, compliant and sustainable business?