Do I need a licence to operate a short-term holiday rental property in Malta?

Yes, operating short-term holiday rental accommodation in Malta generally requires proper licensing, since this type of letting falls under specific tourism accommodation regulation separate from ordinary residential leasing, and properties offered for short-term holiday rental typically need to be registered and licensed through the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), which oversees standards and compliance for tourist accommodation, including specific requirements regarding the property meeting certain standards and being properly registered before it can be legally advertised and let to tourists on a short-term basis. Operating this kind of short-term rental without the proper MTA licensing would generally put you in breach of the applicable tourism accommodation regulations, potentially exposing you to penalties, and depending on how your property is structured, there can also be separate considerations regarding whether your specific planning permission or condominium rules actually permit this kind of short-term letting use, particularly for properties within a residential development that may have specific restrictions on this kind of commercial activity. Given the combination of tourism licensing, potential planning use considerations, and possibly condominium rules that could all be relevant to legally operating a short-term rental, it would be worth confirming the current specific MTA licensing requirements directly, and checking your property's specific planning and condominium status, before advertising your property for short-term holiday rental.