Many buyers of a village or mountain house have the same plan: the family uses it part of the year, and the rest of the time it takes paying guests. Bulgarian law, however, has no category for "a house that is sometimes let to tourists". If you want to operate as a guest house (къща за гости), the property has to meet a definition in the Tourism Act and be categorised — a different regime from registering an apartment on Airbnb.
Here is what you need to know before buying a property for this purpose or converting your own house into a guest house. Verified as of November 2026.
The Tourism Act (Art. 3(2)) divides accommodation into classes:
The difference matters. Guest rooms and guest apartments (class C) are only registered with the mayor — the regime we covered in our guide to short-term letting under the new EU regulation. A guest house (class B) is categorised, with an on-site inspection and a rating of one to three stars.
The definition is in § 1, item 27 of the Tourism Act's supplementary provisions. A guest house is:
By comparison, "guest rooms" under the Act means up to 5 rooms. If you have fewer rooms and do not want to serve breakfast, registering as guest rooms may be the better fit.
The definition bears directly on what you buy. A large villa with no yard, a building without a kitchen guests can use, or a property where none of the hosts lives nearby will struggle to qualify.
Guest houses are categorised by the mayor of the municipality (or an official the mayor appoints), on the proposal of the municipal expert categorisation commission. The possible ratings are one, two or three stars. The detailed requirements for each rating are in the ordinance on requirements for categorised accommodation (adopted by Council of Ministers Decree No. 139 of 2020).
The Tourism Act procedure, in short:
After a refusal, a new application can only be filed 6 months later — so it pays to have the property properly prepared before the first application.
1. The building's legal status. The definition requires a residential building. Check that the house has been formally put into use or legalised, and that what is on site matches the documents. Extensions, attic rooms and bathrooms added without a permit are common in village houses — and a problem at inspection. What to check on such a property is covered in our guide to buying a village house near Sofia.
2. Infrastructure capacity. Water, sewerage or a septic tank, power and heating that suit one family are often not enough for a full house of guests. Work out how many bathrooms and rooms you will actually have.
3. Access. A road guests can drive in an ordinary car all year round, and somewhere to park.
4. Where the hosts live. The law requires you to live in the same building or next door. If you are buying far from home, think about who will fill that role.
5. The kitchen and breakfast. Breakfast is part of the definition. Under the Food Act, premises where food is provided are subject to registration with the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) — check with the regional BFSA directorate what your property needs before you plan the kitchen works.
Every accommodation provider keeps a register of guests (Art. 116 of the Tourism Act). For categorised properties it must be kept electronically — in the Ministry of Tourism's system or in compatible software of your own — with the data feeding into the Unified Tourist Information System (ЕСТИ). A paper register is not an option.
Since 20 May 2026, EU Regulation 2024/1028 also applies: listings on online platforms must show the property's registration number, and platforms remove listings that lack one.
Tax treatment depends on whether you operate as an individual, a sole trader or a company, and the differences can be significant — so talking to an accountant belongs at the planning stage, not afterwards. The general logic of how property income is taxed is in our guide to tax on letting out property.
A guest house is a regime of its own: a residential building with up to 10 rooms, shared spaces, a yard, a host on site or next door and breakfast — and categorisation by the mayor, with a temporary certificate, an on-site inspection and a rating valid for 5 years. If you are buying for this purpose, check the building's legal status, the infrastructure and the access before the preliminary contract — none of these can be fixed with nice furniture.
If you are looking for a village or mountain house to turn into a guest house, or want to know whether your property is suitable — call us or visit the office. We will go through the documents and the location with you before you commit to anything.
Information current as of November 2026, based on the Tourism Act, the ordinance on requirements for categorised accommodation (Decree No. 139/2020) and the Local Taxes and Fees Act. Local taxes and fees are set by each municipality — check your municipality's current ordinance.
