How do I check a Malta short-let is licensed?

Ask the host for the licence number before you book, and check it against the MTA STR Licence Validator at validator.mta.com.mt. The number has to appear on every listing and advert, so a listing with no number is the first thing to query. On arrival there should be a sign at or next to the door of the unit carrying the address, a statement that it is licensed short-let rented accommodation, the licence number, and the name and 24-hour contact of the person responsible.

How many people can stay in a Malta short-let?

For a licence applied for from 15 June 2026, two people per planning-approved bedroom and ten per unit, unless the unit has independent street access. A property licensed before that date keeps its acquired bed count through renewal, so an older listing may legitimately sleep more. Bedrooms in a basement are not allowed under the newer applications, and sofa beds are not allowed at all.

How long can I book a short-let in Malta for?

Ninety consecutive days at most. A longer stay is a different kind of let with different rules.

What do I do about rubbish in a Malta short-let?

Malta collects by bag type on a fixed national day schedule that is the same everywhere: food and garden waste in a white bag on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, general rubbish in a black bag on Tuesday and Saturday, recycling on Thursday, glass on the first and third Friday, and no collection on Sunday. Only the collection time changes, locality by locality.

Can I put the rubbish out the night before in Malta?

No, and this is worth reading even if your host told you otherwise. Bags may go out up to 4 hours before the collection time of the locality, which in most places means the same morning and in Sliema, which collects at 7pm, means from 3pm. Putting them out earlier is an offence: fines of up to €300 have been reported for bags out more than four hours early, and up to €150 for the wrong day or the wrong bag. Many listings and welcome packs still say the night before, and that advice is wrong.

Who do I contact if something goes wrong?

The sign at the door names a person available on a 24-hour basis to receive complaints and address problems. That is a licensing condition, not a courtesy. If a unit has no sign and no 24-hour contact, it may not be licensed, and the MTA is the place to report that.

For guests

Before you book

How to tell a licensed short-let from the other kind.

Malta licenses short lets, and a licensed one is easy to identify if you know what to look for. The checks below take a minute each and all of them are things the operator is already required to give you.

Four checks

Before you book

A licence number on the listing, checked against the MTA validator. Every licensed short-let has to display its number on adverts.

On arrival

A sign at or next to the door with the address, the licence number, and a name and number reachable at any hour.

The party size

A newer licence allows two per approved bedroom and ten per unit. No basement bedrooms, and no sofa beds.

Rubbish

Fixed days by bag type, and a collection time that changes locality by locality. Bags may go out 4 hours before, not the night before.

The licence number can be checked against the MTA STR Licence Validator at validator.mta.com.mt.

Questions

Questions guests ask.

How do I check a Malta short-let is licensed?: Ask the host for the licence number before you book, and check it against the MTA STR Licence Validator at validator.mta.com.mt. The number has to appear on every listing and advert, so a listing with no number is the first thing to query. On arrival there should be a sign at or next to the door of the unit carrying the address, a statement that it is licensed short-let rented accommodation, the licence number, and the name and 24-hour contact of the person responsible.
How many people can stay in a Malta short-let?: For a licence applied for from 15 June 2026, two people per planning-approved bedroom and ten per unit, unless the unit has independent street access. A property licensed before that date keeps its acquired bed count through renewal, so an older listing may legitimately sleep more. Bedrooms in a basement are not allowed under the newer applications, and sofa beds are not allowed at all.
How long can I book a short-let in Malta for?: Ninety consecutive days at most. A longer stay is a different kind of let with different rules.
What do I do about rubbish in a Malta short-let?: Malta collects by bag type on a fixed national day schedule that is the same everywhere: food and garden waste in a white bag on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, general rubbish in a black bag on Tuesday and Saturday, recycling on Thursday, glass on the first and third Friday, and no collection on Sunday. Only the collection time changes, locality by locality.
Can I put the rubbish out the night before in Malta?: No, and this is worth reading even if your host told you otherwise. Bags may go out up to 4 hours before the collection time of the locality, which in most places means the same morning and in Sliema, which collects at 7pm, means from 3pm. Putting them out earlier is an offence: fines of up to €300 have been reported for bags out more than four hours early, and up to €150 for the wrong day or the wrong bag. Many listings and welcome packs still say the night before, and that advice is wrong.
Who do I contact if something goes wrong?: The sign at the door names a person available on a 24-hour basis to receive complaints and address problems. That is a licensing condition, not a courtesy. If a unit has no sign and no 24-hour contact, it may not be licensed, and the MTA is the place to report that.

Rubbish days where you are staying What the operator has to do

Where this sits

For guests

You are booking somewhere to stay. Here is how to tell a licensed place from an unlicensed one before you pay, and what the price should already cover.

For guests Every guide