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Opening a homestay in Vietnam, A to Z (2026)
This book gathers everything it takes to open a legal, profitable homestay in Vietnam in 2026: the legal conditions, household business registration at commune level, the security and order certificate, fire safety, guest stay notices, tax with the VND 1 billion threshold, start-up costs, break-even, and a tick-box checklist for the days before you open.
Free PDF · 10 chapters ·
Get the PDFWhat's inside
- 1The big picture: what opening a homestay involvesThe four groups of tasks to finish before your first guest, the order to do them in, and how to use this book.
- 2The legal conditions for running a homestayWhich kind of accommodation a homestay is, the three conditions in the Tourism Law, the compulsory minimum, and the agricultural land question.
- 3Registering a household businessWho can register, where to file now districts are gone, which documents, which business line, and the mistakes that send you back to the start.
- 4Fire safety (PCCC)The rules in force, the threshold of two storeys or 50 m² of floor area, and the equipment and papers most homestays need.
- 5The security and order certificate, and notifying the tourism authorityWhy even a two-room homestay needs the security certificate, where to apply, what changes from 15 November 2026, and telling the provincial tourism department.
- 6Guest stay noticesWhat you must do for every overnight guest: deadlines, the details on form CT14, ways to send it, and a fast routine when a group checks in.
- 7Homestay tax in 2026The end of presumptive tax, the VND 1 billion threshold, 5% VAT and 2% personal income tax, when to choose the profit method, filing deadlines, S1a/S2a books and e-invoices.
- 8What it costs to open a homestayStart-up capital and monthly cost tables for a 5-room rented homestay (an illustrative example), split into fixed costs and per-night costs.
- 9Is a homestay profitable?The break-even formulas, the 5-room example’s results, 3, 6 and 10 rooms compared, and the factors that turn profit into loss.
- 10Pre-opening checklistA tick-box list in five groups: paperwork, safety, rooms, sales channels and operations, money and books. Print it and cross off each line.
Who it is for
- People who own or plan to rent a house to run as a homestay for the first time.
- Owners already taking guests without all the paperwork in place.
- Anyone who wants to work out capital and profit before spending money.
- Owners who heard presumptive tax is gone and want to know what to do now.
Read a sample
From chapter 1: The big picture: what opening a homestay involves
Many people think opening a homestay means fixing up a house, taking photos and listing it on Booking or Airbnb. In practice, before your first guest arrives you need to finish four groups of tasks: the paperwork to operate legally, premises that meet the minimum standards, duties that repeat every day and every quarter, and a money plan that carries you through the first quiet months.
- Paperwork: household business (hộ kinh doanh) registration, fire safety (PCCC) papers, the security and order certificate (giấy chứng nhận đủ điều kiện về an ninh, trật tự), and a notice to the provincial tourism authority if your province asks for one.
- Premises: electricity, clean water, guest sleeping area, bathroom, toilet, and bedding changed for each new guest, to the legal minimum.
- Recurring duties: a stay notice (thông báo lưu trú) for every overnight guest before 11 pm, a revenue book, and quarterly tax returns once yearly revenue passes VND 1 billion.
- Money: start-up capital, fixed monthly costs, the number of nights you must sell to break even, and a reserve fund.
A sensible order: register the household business first, then sort out fire safety, then apply for the security certificate (the fire-safety papers are part of that application), then notify the tourism authority and open. Stay notices and bookkeeping start on the day your first guest arrives. Alongside the paperwork, work out your capital and break-even point to see whether the project is worth doing.
| Chapter | What you will have after reading it |
|---|---|
| 2. Legal conditions | What the law calls a homestay and the minimum you must meet |
| 3. Household business registration | Documents, where to file now districts are gone, the right business line |
| 4. Fire safety | Whether your house is on the managed list and what it needs |
| 5. Security and order certificate | Where to apply, and the fine for taking guests without it |
| 6. Stay notices | Deadlines, form CT14, and a fast routine for groups |
| 7. Tax in 2026 | The VND 1 billion threshold, rates, books, worked figures |
| 8. Start-up costs | Capital and monthly cost tables to adapt to your numbers |
| 9. Is it profitable? | The break-even formula and what turns profit into loss |
| 10. Pre-opening checklist | A tick-box list to print and use straight away |
For reference, updated 11/2026: the legal rules and tax rates in this book can differ between localities. Before you file or declare tax, check with your local tax office and with the commune People’s Committee and police where the homestay is.
The rest of this chapter and 9 more are in the PDF. Get the PDF
Frequently asked questions
Does a homestay with only 2–3 rooms need a business registration and a security certificate?
Yes. Running accommodation requires a household business registration, and the security and order certificate applies regardless of room count. Properties of 29 rooms or fewer apply to the commune police.
Do I pay tax as soon as I open?
From 2026 there is no presumptive tax or business licence fee. Yearly revenue of VND 1 billion or less owes no VAT or personal income tax; above that you file quarterly. Even below the threshold, keep a revenue book from the first booking.
How much capital does a homestay need?
It depends on the location and the house. In the book’s illustrative example (5 rooms, rented house in Da Lat) about VND 475 million is spent, or about 630 million with a 3-month reserve. Get real quotes before you decide.
Is the book updated when the law changes?
The content is current to 11/2026. When rules change, the guides on hostbooking.vn are updated first; each chapter links to the matching article.