Bali Airbnb Listings Could Disappear Due To Policy Change

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There is a lot of talk happening in Bali right now about policy changes that could affect Airbnb listings.

For more than five years, leaders in Bali have been working to crack down on accommodation providers operating outside the law, including some listings on Airbnb. 

For leaders in Bali, the presence of Airbnb has long been a contentious issue. While the platform is legal in Indonesia, and the company is an official partner of the national tourism board, some leaders in Bali have had issues with the booking platform.

This is because of ongoing concerns that some listings are not compliant with local business licensing laws, and concerns that listings are being owned, operated, and therefore profited from by hosts based outside of the province. This, in turn, as local leaders have been concerned about, would drive down local tax revenue. 

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As of 31st March 2026, all private rental properties in Bali Province, including Airbnb listings, must be able to show their NIB (Business Identification Number) and a KBLI (a code that defines what the business can and cannot do).

While most accommodation businesses and private rental villas registered on online booking platforms like Airbnb operate legally, local leaders and stakeholders in the accommodation sector are concerned that many do not.

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If a rental properly listed on Airbnb has not added its NIB and KBLI to its listing by the 31st March 2026, it could be removed from the site.

Tourists who have bookings pending on Airbnb are within their rights to contact their host to confirm that these licences and permits are complete and that there will be no issue with their booking come vacation time. 

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Since Bali has experienced a surge in tourism following the pandemic, there are concerns that many villas and vacation rental properties have been built without the required construction and development permits and are operating without the required business licenses and permits.

To help combat the issue and enable tourists to book with greater confidence, while ensuring that all vacation property rental owners and companies are compliant with the law, Bali’s Villa Rental & Management Association set up an accreditation system and a status check website for guests who want to double-check their booking is all above board. 

Back in January 2026, the Bali Villa Rental & Management Association (BVRMA) confirmed that it had been receiving an increasing number of reports of villa fraud and scamming on the island, with more than 100 open cases.

The Chairman of the association, Kadek Adnyana, told reporters his forecast for a worst-case scenario if serious action is not taken quickly.

He shared, “Bali’s tourism image will definitely plummet. Because if something like this and that happens and it’s exposed on social media, it becomes public knowledge, it becomes global knowledge. Ultimately, Bali’s image will inevitably be tarnished as an unsafe tourist destination.”

He noted, “The losses are already hundreds of millions of rupiah for tourists alone. A single booking can be worth anywhere from 10 million to hundreds of millions of rupiah. The villas on offer are quite luxurious and quite expensive.”

According to Adnyana and his team, one of the safest way for tourists to book private villas in Bali is directly with the property, or via a reputable online provider, after checking the property’s status on the BVRMA Official website. This process is quick and simple to complete, enabling tourists to book with confidence and supporting businesses that play an active role in the local economy. 

Airbnb remains a safe and reputable platform to book stays in Bali, and following speculation that the province was set to ban the platform in December 2025, the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism clearly confirmed, “The government has never banned, and does not intend to halt, operations of online travel agencies in Indonesia.”