According to the document, homes intended for short-term holiday rentals must be registered in a national registry in order to operate legally
SANTO DOMINGO. – According to the call for public consultation made by the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), the Dominican Republic would have a mandatory registry for all properties intended for short-stay vacation rentals.
The measure, which has caused a stir among short-term rental businesses in the country, establishes the National Registry of Tourist Accommodations (RENATUR), a platform through which this business model, which has evolved significantly in the country in recent years, would be regulated. Data from the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic indicates that 34% of visitors who arrived in the country in 2025 stayed in short-term rental establishments.
The Ministry of Tourism's (MITUR) announcement was posted on its official website on May 20th of this year, with a deadline of July 22nd for submitting contributions and proposals. However, the Dominican Association of Short-Term Rentals (ADORECO) issued a statement claiming to be unaware of the call for proposals and stating that Airbnb informed them of the initiative last week
According to the document "Resolution establishing the measures concerning the registration of short-term or short-stay vacation rentals and their hosts, before the Ministry of Tourism", the proposal responds to the growth experienced by this type of accommodation, driven mainly by digital platforms, and seeks to establish mechanisms for control, supervision and identification of the properties that offer this service.
Creation of RENATUR
The Ministry of Tourism's proposal aims to create the National Registry of Tourist Accommodations (RENATUR), a platform that will operate under the institution's leadership and will have the purpose of registering, on a mandatory basis, all accommodations and short-stay vacation rentals in the country.
The registry will cover villas, apartments, houses, rooms, bungalows and any other type of short-term tourist accommodation.
The objective, according to the official document, is to guarantee a responsible, safe and transparent service for tourists and users, while allowing the State to have an updated inventory of this type of establishment.
Registration will be mandatory in order to operate
The proposal stipulates that all providers of vacation accommodation services must register each of the properties or housing units they offer under this modality.
The project establishes that registration with RENATUR will be an essential requirement to market short-stay accommodation services in the Dominican Republic, both in person and through digital platforms.
Likewise, the incorporation process will be carried out through the digital form enabled by the Ministry of Tourism.
The provision explains that, once the procedure is complete, each property will receive an official certificate proving its registration. According to the proposal, this document must be displayed in a visible location within the property and will include a web link that allows for verification of the registration.
The resolution also instructs the Technical Vice-Ministry of the Ministry of Tourism to adopt the necessary measures to ensure the correct implementation of the system once it comes into effect.
Article three expands the scope of the measure
One of the most relevant aspects of the draft resolution is found in article three, which stipulates that the registration obligation established in article one will apply to all properties, real estate and housing units located in the national territory that are promoted, directly or through digital platforms, for short stay vacation rental.
The initiative establishes that the registry will not be limited to certain tourist destinations or provinces, but will cover any property in the country that is used under this modality.
Paragraph I stipulates that each owner or administrator must make an individual registration for each property they market, a procedure that will generate a registration number in the National Register of Tourist Accommodations.
Paragraph II states that each application must include the identification of the owner and the administrator, the description of the property, and the documentation required by the Ministry of Tourism to complete the process.
The condominium regulations may determine the registration
One of the points of the proposal appears in paragraph III of article three, which establishes that when the property is part of a condominium regime it will be necessary to present a complete copy of the corresponding regulations to verify if there is any restriction related to short-term rentals.
If the regulations expressly prohibit this activity, the Ministry of Tourism will not be able to register the property within RENATUR.
Paragraph IV states that, when the condominium does not have regulations that address this aspect, a declaration from the owners' assembly may be submitted expressly stating that vacation rentals are permitted and, if necessary, the conditions under which they may be carried out.
Each property must be registered individually
Article five of the project stipulates that every service provider must individually register each property under its administration that is offered as a short-stay rental.
To do this, it will be necessary to complete the digital form provided by the Ministry of Tourism and submit, among other documents, a copy of the title certificate, the identification of the owner or authorized representative, the corresponding tax identification number, detailed information about the property, its location, and a civil liability insurance policy.
When the property is advertised on digital platforms, the identifier (ID) used on each of them must also be provided.
Digital platforms will also have new obligations
The project incorporates specific responsibilities for digital platforms that act as intermediaries in vacation rentals.
These include the obligation to request proof of registration in RENATUR before allowing the publication of new properties located in the Dominican Republic.
In the case of properties that are already advertised at the time the resolution comes into effect, the platforms will have a period of up to 60 days to require the regularization of their owners or administrators.
Once that period has elapsed, they must remove from their portals those properties that do not have the corresponding registration.
Public consultation ends on July 22
The call for public consultation was published by the Ministry of Tourism on May 20, 2026, in compliance with Law 167-21 on Regulatory Improvement and Simplification of Procedures.
According to the official notice, interested parties may submit comments on the project until July 22, 2026, by sending a communication to the Ministry of Tourism via email to consultapublica@mitur.gob.do or in person at the institution's headquarters, located on Cayetano Germosén Avenue, corner of Gregorio Luperón, in Santo Domingo.
ADORECO requests an extension of the consultation period
The publication of the project prompted a statement from the Dominican Association of Short-Term Rental Companies (ADORECO), an organization that requested the Ministry of Tourism to extend the public consultation period and open a technical working group with representation from the various sectors involved.
In a statement released last Friday, July 17, the entity argued that the proposal could have significant implications for owners, managers, investors, and short-term rental operators, considering that the project addresses the activity primarily from a tourism perspective, without recognizing the diversity of uses that these properties currently have, such as academic stays, business trips, or temporary residences.
The president of ADORECO, Yajaira Sosa, explained that, although the project was published by the Ministry of Tourism on May 20, a large part of the community linked to short-term rentals did not have timely knowledge of the public consultation.
According to him, the sector had been waiting for the publication of the draft for more than a year and many of its members found out a few days before the deadline, after a notification issued by the Airbnb platform.
Given this scenario, the organization reiterated its support for the formalization and regulation of the sector, but believes that a proposal of this scope requires a broader analysis process and effective participation from all stakeholders.
Recommended readings:
- ADORECO asks the Ministry of Tourism to extend the public consultation on short-term rental regulations and warns of risks to the sector
- The President of the Short-Term Rental Association believes all interested sectors should have a voice in regulating this model in the Dominican Republic
- Short-term rentals have evolved into a more professional and complex model, says ADORECO president
- Through twists and turns: The Dominican Republic's journey to tax digital platforms; the DGII says it will present a new proposal in 60 days
