Short-term rental hosts urge House to approve PC 1518
Viva Puerto Rico and other host groups called on the House of Representatives on Monday to promptly discuss and pass a bill that would create a single, islandwide registration system for short-term rentals administered by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
File photoThe short version
- Viva PR president René Acosta told El Vocero that PC 1518 provides clear, uniform and easy-to-follow rules that hosts have sought for years
- El Vocero reported the measure streamlines online registration, issues certificates in 10 days, preserves existing registrations and offers incentives for hosts using platforms that collect the room tax
- According to El Vocero, the bill does not create new taxes but aims to improve collection of the existing room tax, with half of short-term rental collections directed to the host municipality via CRIM
- El Nuevo Día reported the proposal would centralize mandatory registration under the Puerto Rico Tourism Company with uniform rules across all 78 municipalities
Hosts seek uniform rules
Viva Puerto Rico (Viva PR), an alliance of short-term rental hosts, urged the House of Representatives on Monday to discuss and approve House Bill 1518. The legislation would establish a single islandwide registry administered by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company with the same rules for all 78 municipalities. El Vocero reported
René Acosta, president of Viva PR, said the bill is what hosts have requested for years. "Este es el proyecto que los anfitriones hemos pedido por años: reglas claras, iguales para todos y fáciles de cumplir," Acosta told El Vocero. He thanked the House speaker and the Tourism Committee chair for listening to hosts and asked them to bring the measure to the floor soon.
Acosta explained to El Vocero that a registry has existed since Law 272-2003 but has not been widely followed. The bill would make registration online and immediate, with the Tourism Company issuing a certificate within 10 days. Those already registered would keep their status. Hosts using platforms that collect and remit the room tax would face a shorter form and would not need to post a bond, buy their own insurance policy or file monthly returns.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Este es el proyecto que los anfitriones hemos pedido por años: reglas claras, iguales para todos y fáciles de cumplir.
Our translation: This is the bill that hosts have asked for for years: clear rules, the same for everyone and easy to comply with.
The source's own statement, as quoted by El Vocero. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Revenue and municipal benefits
The proposal does not impose new taxes but seeks fuller collection of the existing room tax, Acosta told El Vocero. As more hosts register, collections would increase and municipalities would receive a share. A new Article 31-A would direct half of the room tax from short-term rentals to the host municipality through the Centro de Recaudación de Ingresos Municipales (CRIM). Municipalities would also receive registry data to improve collection of business licenses and property taxes.
Promotion of Puerto Rico as a destination would continue to be funded by hotel payments, other lodging and the remainder of short-term rental taxes, according to the same report. Short-term rentals bring visitors and spending to communities outside hotel zones, El Vocero reported.
Tourism performance and neighbor protections
Discover Puerto Rico data cited by El Vocero showed the island sold more than 6.4 million room nights through September 2026, a 4 percent increase from the prior year, with hotels and short-term rentals growing at the same pace. Lodging demand rose 5.5 percent, three times the U.S. average, and Tourism Economics projects direct visitor spending near $9,500 million this year.
The bill would prohibit parties or events with more guests than permitted occupants, require a responsible contact and safety equipment at each property, and respect condominium rules, El Vocero reported. A complete registry would give the government reliable data on the number and location of rental properties for the first time.
Glenda Sánchez Pérez, leader of the Eastern Puerto Rico short-term rental hosts group, told El Vocero that members are families, retirees and small business owners who want to register, pay their share and operate under clear rules. "Queremos estar registrados, pagar lo que nos toca y operar con reglas claras. Este proyecto nos da esa oportunidad," she said.
Centralized registration proposal
El Nuevo Día reported that a new bill filed in the House proposes that the Puerto Rico Tourism Company administer a uniform and mandatory registry for short-term rentals across the island. The reports agree on the central role of the Tourism Company and the goal of uniform rules but differ slightly in emphasis, with El Vocero providing extensive detail on incentives, revenue sharing and host statements while El Nuevo Día focused on the centralization aspect.
Where the sources differ
Both El Vocero articles and El Nuevo Día agree that House Bill 1518 would create a single registry for short-term rentals managed by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company with uniform rules across all municipalities. El Vocero, published earlier on Oct. 26, 2026, includes extensive quotes from René Acosta and Glenda Sánchez Pérez, details on registration process, compliance incentives, revenue sharing via CRIM, neighbor protections and tourism performance data from Discover Puerto Rico. El Nuevo Día, published later the same day, offers a shorter account focused on the centralization proposal and mandatory nature of the registry. The two El Vocero links point to essentially the same story with minor variations in weather text and truncation.
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state when the House might discuss or vote on PC 1518, whether the Senate has introduced or supports a companion measure, the current number of registered versus unregistered short-term rental properties, or any estimated increase in tax collections or municipal revenue. No position from the Tourism Company, municipalities or opposing groups is included.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Anfitriones de alquileres a corto plazo piden a la Cámara aprobar el PC 1518
- Reporting Nuevo proyecto busca centralizar el registro de alquileres a corto plazo en la Compañía de Turismo
How we checked this
El Vocero reported the hosts' call to action, detailed provisions and supporting data on Oct. 26, 2026. El Nuevo Día covered the centralization goal the same day. All specific quotes, figures and incentives rest on the El Vocero account.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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