Rules for Providing Accommodation Services to Become More Flexible
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications has prepared a draft that will make the rules for providing accommodation services more flexible and decrease the amount and level of detail of claims. For example, the draft will no longer include a list of obligatory furniture, other furnishings or additional services. Furthermore, the draft act will not be establishing the measurements of interior design elements or the area of rooms. The Chamber of Commerce supports the planned amendments because they decrease bureaucracy and the existing rules will become more flexible.
The aim of the amendment is to modernise the requirements for accommodation services, including make the rules more understandable and simpler for the entrepreneurs, decrease requirements and bureaucracy. It is planned to enter the amendments into force on 1 May in order to harmonise the requirements for accommodation services with the amendments of the Tourism Act that enters into force on 1 May.
Planned requirements for accommodation services
General requirements for accommodation services
- The buildings, rooms where accommodation service is provided as well as their interior furnishings and the territory of the accommodation establishment must be clean, in good order; the equipment must be functioning and safe for regular use.
- Every accommodation room of accommodation establishment must have fire safety reminder in a visible place giving short instructions on preventing fires and actions in case of fire. Each accommodation room of accommodation establishment must have a scheme for evacuation and actions in case of fire in a visible place.
- Accommodation establishments must be equipped with drinking water. In accommodation establishments with hot water supply, it must be possible to heat water to up to 65 ºC and the hot water temperature must be kept within 50–55 ºC.
- The lighting of accommodation establishments must ensure uniform diffused light in public, accommodation and sanitary rooms.
- The doors of the accommodation rooms or in relevant cases, accommodation buildings of accommodation establishments must be lockable and the keys in the use of the person utilising the accommodation service. The doors of accommodation rooms must be openable from the inside without a key and the evacuation routes must feature doors that can be opened without a key in the direction of evacuation. Accommodation rooms must be furnished for the intended purposes, the possibility for storing clothes and essential items must be ensured.
- Accommodation establishments must feature hygienic possibilities for washing and drying hands, 24-hour option of general washing with hot water and the possibility to use a toilet and toilet paper must be ensured.
- Upon handling food, the provider of accommodation services must ensure handling of food according to the requirements of the Food Act. Upon offering the possibility to prepare food, an accommodation establishment must have a suitably fitted kitchen, kitchenette or other facilities for preparing and serving food that take account the peculiarities of the type of accommodation establishment.
- Rooms of accommodation establishments must be cleaned, aired and if necessary, disinfected regularly in order to prevent spreading of diseases and risk for health.
- In case of availability of towels and bedlinen or in case of renting option, their changing as necessary must be ensured at least upon the arrival of each new person utilising the accommodation service. Clean and dirty textiles must be kept separately.
- Washing and toilet cleaning detergent must be used and kept separately from other cleaning agents.
- The following must be ensured in accommodation establishments:
1) issuing of the key to an accommodation room or accommodation building in an identifiable manner;
2) 24-hour options for entry and exit for persons using the accommodation service;
3) clearly visible and distinguishable entry to the accommodation establishment or the territory of the accommodation establishment;
4) notifying the users of the accommodation service of the services offered at the accommodation establishment, price list and reception hours if reception is not open 24 hours a day, and information regarding if the service is accessible for disabled persons;
5) areas for waste collection in the rooms or territory of the accommodation establishment.