Renting Out Your CM2H Property: Airbnb, Tax & HOA Rules 2026

There is no provision in the CM2H Golden Visa program that prohibits listing your property on Airbnb. The CM2H requirement is that you maintain a qualifying investment (the property) — it does not regulate how you use it. However, three separate constraints may apply: (1) your building's HOA or management rules may prohibit or restrict daily rental — this is the most common practical restriction; (2) operating as a regular short-term rental host at commercial scale may require a MoT guesthouse license; and (3) tax compliance obligations differ slightly for short-term vs long-term rental. Always check your building's specific rules before listing.

Rental income from Cambodian property is subject to a 10% withholding tax on the gross rental receipts, regardless of whether the rental is short-term or long-term. This is declared and paid quarterly to the General Department of Taxation (GDT). If you are operating short-term rental at a level that qualifies as a hospitality service (guesthouse), an additional 1% tourism levy on turnover may apply. If the property is held through a Cambodian company, rental income would instead be subject to corporate income tax at 20% of net profit. Our tax advisors can help you determine the most efficient compliant structure.

Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism requires a guesthouse license for establishments regularly providing paid accommodation to guests. The threshold at which an individual landlord's Airbnb activity becomes regulated hospitality is not precisely defined by law, but the risk of requiring a license increases with the frequency and volume of short-term rentals. Landlords who operate one property occasionally are generally not targeted for licensing. Those running multiple units on Airbnb as a primary business activity are more clearly within the licensing requirement. In practice, Airbnb management companies in Phnom Penh handle licensing compliance for their managed portfolio.

No — renting your CM2H property does not affect your Golden Visa status. The CM2H program requires you to maintain a qualifying investment (the property you purchased) at the required value threshold. It does not require you to live in the property, leave it vacant, or use it in any particular way. Rental income from the property is entirely consistent with maintaining CM2H residency status. The critical compliance point is not selling the property below the qualifying threshold without replacing the investment within the permitted timeframe.

Yes, and there are potential tax advantages to holding and renting through a Cambodian company structure — though it depends on your specific situation. Personal rental income: 10% WHT on gross rent. Company rental income: 20% CIT on net profit, which allows deduction of expenses including depreciation, management fees, and maintenance costs. For properties generating significant rental income with substantial deductible expenses, a company structure may result in a lower effective tax rate. However, transferring the property into a company structure has stamp duty and capital gains implications. A tax structuring review from our lawyers is recommended before making this decision.

Yes — Cambodia does not impose capital or income controls on the repatriation of rental income by foreign investors. Once rental income is received and withholding tax obligations are met, you are free to transfer the funds internationally from a Cambodian bank account. ABA Bank and Acleda Bank both offer international wire transfer services accessible via mobile app. Your home country may have its own tax obligations on foreign rental income — for example, US citizens must declare Cambodian rental income on Form 1040 (with foreign tax credit available for the 10% WHT paid), and UK residents may declare it under foreign income rules. Confirm your home country obligations with a qualified tax advisor.