Closing Your STR Business: What to Do With an Active CWTON

Selling or closing your short-term rental business: what to do with an active CWTON entry

Deciding to sell an investment apartment, or simply to stop running a short-term rental, comes with paperwork that's easy to forget in the rush of a transaction or a move. It's worth settling one point up front: the CWTON register isn't operating yet, so today there is no "active CWTON entry" to close - the real steps when ending an STR are simpler than the guides circulating online suggest.

Key takeaways

• The CWTON system hasn't launched - the EU Regulation applies, but the Polish act hasn't been passed, and registration (and deregistration) are currently impossible; the deregistration described below is a matter for the future
• Ending an STR business today mainly requires removing listings from platforms and - if the property was registered - updating the municipal record entry
• Once CWTON launches, under the draft the number is to be tied to the property and operator, and a new owner would register the property from scratch if they plan to continue renting
• Closing a business tied to the rental (if one was registered) is a separate action from the formalities around the accommodation facility

Ending an STR today: what actually needs doing

Since the CWTON register doesn't exist yet, ending a rental doesn't involve a "deregister the property from CWTON" step. Removing a listing from Airbnb or Booking.com only manages the listing's visibility to guests. The only "register" that actually works today is the municipal record of facilities providing accommodation services (Articles 38-39 of the Act on tourism services) - if the property was registered there, it's worth updating or removing the entry when winding down. Deregistration from CWTON will only become a separate step once the system launches.

Selling an apartment with an active registration: who does what

When selling a property that had an active CWTON entry for short-term rental, it's worth clearly dividing responsibilities before signing the agreement:

• Seller: closes the listings on platforms and - if the property was registered - updates the municipal record entry, so they're no longer formally tied to a property they no longer own. (There is no CWTON number today, so there's nothing to deregister.)
• Buyer: if they plan to continue short-term rental, completes their own formalities - today reporting to the municipal record, and once CWTON launches, registering in that system too. The draft doesn't provide for "taking over" the previous owner's number.

It's worth including this division of responsibilities in the sale agreement, or at least in the arrangements accompanying the transaction, to avoid a situation where neither party feels responsible for updating the data.

Why it's worth tidying up the formalities

A property listed in the municipal record as active, but not actually rented for months, can raise questions during a future inspection - a mismatch between the entry's status and the actual lack of activity is worth eliminating by updating the data. Once CWTON launches, the same logic will apply to the entry in that system.

Closing a business vs deregistering from CWTON

If short-term rental was run through a registered business, closing that business in the CEIDG register is a separate action from updating the property's entry in the municipal record. It's worth doing both within a reasonable timeframe of each other, but neither one automatically replaces the other - closing the business doesn't remove the property from the municipal record.

An STR closure checklist

• Removing or deactivating listings on every booking platform
• Updating or removing the municipal record entry (if the property was registered there)
• Settling the final tax period tied to rental income
• If applicable, closing or updating the registered business in CEIDG
• Ending contracts tied to running the rental (cleaner, channel manager, dedicated rental insurance)
• Once CWTON launches: deregistering the property in the system (impossible today)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do I need to deregister from CWTON if I'm only taking a break for a few months?

There's nothing to deregister today, because the CWTON system isn't operating yet. For a temporary pause it's enough to suspend the listings on the platforms. Once CWTON launches, the draft assumes the number will be tied to the property - only then will it become clear whether an option to mark a property as temporarily inactive is provided.

What if the buyer doesn't know they need to complete the formalities?

It's worth informing the buyer directly during the transaction or handover - today that means reporting to the municipal record, and once the system launches, CWTON registration too. Not knowing about it doesn't waive the new owner's obligations if they plan to run short-term rental.

Does ending an STR involve any official fee?

No. Registering with and removing from the municipal record are free administrative actions. Future deregistration from CWTON, like registration itself, is meant to be free according to the assumptions - the details will be known once the system launches.

Will I be able to transfer my CWTON number to a new property I buy in the future?

Under the draft, a CWTON number is to be tied to the specific, registered property and won't be transferable to a different one - a new property would require its own registration. Today a CWTON number can't be obtained at all yet.

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