Vacation Rental Regulation in Playa del Carmen Will Push Rates Up, Hotelier Says

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A new municipal regulation of vacation rentals in Playa del Carmen, launched in mid-August, will force short-term rental hosts to raise their rates — a relief for the city’s hotel sector, according to Andrea Lotito, vice president of the Riviera Maya Hotels Association.

The city government activated a digital platform on August 16 to regulate vacation rentals. Hosts must now pay the city’s Environmental Sanitation Fee and comply with civil protection measures and protocols against human trafficking, Lotito said.

Lotito described the change as positive, noting that “a client who reserves a slightly more expensive space also spends more on dining and other local experiences.”

He also revealed that Airbnb has notified hosts that it is raising its commission from 3% to 15%, adding to the immediate financial impact.

“The new measure arrives at a difficult time for the local economy, but seeing this process as a revenue-raising exercise would be a mistake,” he said. “Bringing order to the local hospitality sector will bring many more benefits in the long run.”

Lotito said vacation rentals “are here to stay,” but the goal is to establish clear rules — not only because of the tax imbalance with hotels, but also because of challenges they have introduced, including higher housing costs, real estate speculation, oversupply, and security risks that make them vulnerable to human trafficking, prostitution, and crime.

The association has been pressing the city government for regulation since 2011, Lotito noted. “Just as some small hotels have closed under the pressure of oversupply, short-term rental hosts will have to reinvent their product to compete on quality, location, and price, or shift to long-term options.”

With the city now gaining visibility into the number of vacation rentals and the obligations they meet, Lotito said the government should also provide quality public services in neighborhoods such as Zazil Ha, Centro, and Gonzalo Guerrero, benefiting both visitors and residents.