Key facts
- At least 207 illegal tourist rental properties were found on Airbnb and Booking.com in Bucharest.
- All identified properties are in buildings classified as having the highest seismic risk (RS1).
- Romania outlawed rentals in RS1 buildings in 2024, with fines for violations.
- Neither Airbnb nor Booking.com requires hosts to declare structural soundness.
- Re:Rise is placing QR code stickers on risky buildings to warn tourists.
- A major earthquake could damage 23,000 buildings and kill approximately 6,500 people in Bucharest.
Tourists visiting Bucharest are unknowingly booking accommodation in buildings that are highly vulnerable to collapse during an earthquake, according to an investigation by The Guardian and data from Re:Rise, a Romanian seismic risk reduction organization. At the end of May, at least 207 illegal rental properties were identified across Airbnb and Booking.com, with a combined capacity to host over 1,000 visitors nightly. All these listings were in buildings classified as having the highest seismic risk (RS1).
Bucharest is the most seismically vulnerable capital in the EU, with a devastating earthquake in 1977 claiming over 1,500 lives. Experts warn that a future major quake could cause even greater damage due to the deteriorating structural integrity of many buildings. Romania outlawed rentals in RS1 buildings in 2024, imposing fines for violations. However, the true scale of unsafe accommodation is likely larger, as only a fraction of the city's buildings have been formally assessed.
Platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com do not require hosts to disclose seismic risk, with representatives stating it is the owners' responsibility to comply with local laws. Re:Rise has resorted to placing QR code stickers on risky buildings to inform tourists, linking to a website detailing the property's seismic risk. The city hall claims to have sent notifications to owners and organized an information campaign, but inspections are complaint-driven.
Airbnb stated it is investigating the issue, while Booking.com emphasized that accommodation partners must adhere to local laws. Bucharest, which welcomed over 2 million visitors in 2025, faces a significant ongoing seismic risk, with many public buildings also affected. Retrofitting efforts have been minimal since the 1977 earthquake, and a future major quake is estimated to severely damage thousands of buildings and result in thousands of casualties.