Short-term rental fines and enforcement in Copenhagen
Updated 6 October 2026. Written by Nico Rossetti, Arnor.
This guide is not about what you are allowed to do. It is about what happens if you do not stay inside the limit. What does a breach cost, who enforces the rules, and what does the bill sent for public consultation in September 2026 mean? The rules themselves are covered in our guide to the Copenhagen Airbnb rules.
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The limits themselves did not change in 2026. If you let privately, without a platform that reports, the cap is 30 days a year. If you let through a platform that reports to the Danish Tax Agency, the cap is 70 days a year. A municipality may raise its own limit to 100 days. Copenhagen has not, and the city council voted no on 21 May 2026. That question is covered in full in Was the cap raised to 100 days?
What going over costs today
The fine level under sommerhusloven, as it is applied today, rises with the length of the overrun:
- Around 5.000 kr for an overrun of up to 5 days.
- The amount rises the longer the overrun lasts.
- Up to 100.000 kr for overruns of 180 days or more.
- 25.000 kr for each order from the authorities that is not complied with.
That last point is easy to miss. The fine for not complying with an order stands on its own, so a case can end up costing more than the overrun itself suggests.
Who checks
Supervision under sommerhusloven sits with the authorities, not with the platforms. The platforms do report your rental income to the Danish Tax Agency, though, and income says something indirectly about how many nights were let. Whether the home still counts as your actual residence is a separate rule, covered in our guide to the residence requirement.
The agreement of 22 January 2026
On 22 January 2026 the Danish government and the parties behind the agreement, through By-, Land- og Kirkeministeriet, agreed a package against illegal short-term rental. The package contains:
- Markedly higher fines under sommerhusloven.
- A duty for platforms and owners to hand over information to the authorities in specific cases.
- The power for authorities to have illegal listings blocked on the platforms.
- The option for municipalities to take over supervision themselves.
- An evaluation in 2028.
The bill of September 2026
On 16 September 2026 the Danish Planning and Rural Districts Agency (Plan- og Landdistriktsstyrelsen) sent the bill for public consultation, with a deadline of 21 October 2026 and a planned entry into force on 1 July 2027.
It follows the January agreement: markedly higher fines, reported in the press as up to 100,000 kr per home depending on the extent of the breach, a duty for platforms and hosts to hand over information to the authorities, the power to have illegal listings removed or bookings blocked, and the option for municipalities to take over supervision. Owners must be notified when a breach is found.
It is still a bill. The new fines apply only once parliament has passed the law and it has entered into force. Until then, the levels above apply.
Copenhagen has budgeted for enforcement
In its September 2026 budget agreement, the City of Copenhagen set aside 6.8 million kr a year from 2027 to 2030 for a housing patrol that will supervise short-term rentals, plus 4.7 million kr a year for additional cases at the Rent Board. The patrol can start once the law gives the municipality the supervisory role, planned for 2027.
What it means for you as an owner
The platforms already report income to the tax authority, so the number of nights is visible. The direction of travel is more data sharing and higher penalties, not less. The practical conclusion is simple: plan the year so you stay inside the limit, rather than hoping nobody looks. To fill the rest of the year, furnished lets of 1 to 6 months are not holiday letting and do not count against the cap.
We are not lawyers. If you are unsure about your own situation, ask your own adviser before you open the calendar.
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Get my free estimateFrequently asked questions
What happens if I go over the limit?
Going over the day limit is a breach of sommerhusloven, and the sanction is a fine. As applied today the level starts around 5.000 kr for an overrun of up to 5 days and rises with the length of the overrun, up to 100.000 kr for overruns of 180 days or more. If the authorities issue an order and it is not complied with, that carries a separate fine of 25.000 kr each time.
How would they even find out?
Platforms report rental income to the Danish Tax Agency, so what you earn is visible to the authorities, and income says something indirectly about how many nights were let. The bill sent for public consultation on 16 September 2026 would oblige platforms and owners to hand over information in specific cases. The consultation deadline is 21 October 2026, and the planned entry into force is 1 July 2027. Until then today's fine levels apply.
Is the new agreement in force?
The bill was sent for public consultation on 16 September 2026, the consultation deadline is 21 October 2026, and the planned entry into force is 1 July 2027. Until then today's fine levels apply.
What is the fine for a short overrun?
For an overrun of up to 5 days the level applied today is around 5.000 kr. It is not a fixed price list you can plan around, and it rises quickly with the length of the overrun, so a few extra nights are rarely worth it.
Can my housing association report me?
Yes, anyone can alert the authorities, and an andelsforening or ejerforening often notices first. Your association is a separate track from the public rules: it can restrict or ban short-term rental in its own bylaws, and breaking those has consequences within the association regardless of what the municipality does.
This is general information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers, so ask yours if you are in doubt about your own situation.
Sources
Høringsportalen, bill on strengthened supervision and enforcement of short-term rentals, sent for consultation 16 September 2026 (hoeringsportalen.dk). City of Copenhagen, budget agreement for 2027, September 2026 (kk.dk). By-, Land- og Kirkeministeriet, the agreement of 22 January 2026 on action against illegal short-term rental (blkm.dk). The City of Copenhagen, rules on short-term rental and the residence requirement (kk.dk). Sommerhusloven. The City of Copenhagen, city council vote of 21 May 2026.