EU Parliament in favor of stricter rules for short-term landlords on Airbnb and other platforms.
In future, landlords advertising on online platforms such as Airbnb will have to provide data on how often and which accommodation they rent out by means of a registration number.
Strasbourg – The EU Parliament voted in Strasbourg on Thursday. To favor of stricter regulations for online platform landlords such as Airbnb. The regulation is intended to create the basis for data exchange between platforms and national authorities with a registration number. In future, all providers will have to apply for a registration number. They will then have to collect and transmit data to the authorities on how often and which accommodation is rented out.
The new regulation received 493 votes in favor, 14 against and 33 abstentions. EU member states will set up a single digital access point to receive monthly host activity data from the platforms. The collection of so-called activity data will enable authorities to monitor compliance with host registration procedures. And implement appropriate policies in the area of short-term accommodation rentals.
The Council (of the Member States) must now formally adopt the text. Once it has been published in the Official Journal of the EU, the regulation will enter into force 24 months later.
Transparency and fair competition
By adopting this regulation, we are solving a long-known problem. The co-existence of commercial landlords and private landlords via platforms such as Airbnb is now quite normal. But while there are strict requirements for commercial accommodation providers. It was often impossible to determine who was renting where, what, to whom and for how long when it came to platform rentals. Now the rules are clear and uniform.
Scarce living space and rising rents are presenting more and more people in Europe’s cities with enormous financial challenges. The growing supply of short-term tourist rentals via platforms such as Airbnb or Bookings com, also plays a major role in this. Today’s decision now at least brings more transparency obligations for large providers. This forms the basis for the authorities to assess the actual impact on the housing market and then take appropriate regulatory steps.
“This is a milestone in the new regulation – the assignment of a unique registration number that every short-term landlord must provide on websites in future. These registration requirements will not only enable data collection and transparency in non-commercial online rentals, but also the fight against illegal offers,” said WKÖ Hotel Industry Chairman Johann Spreitzhofer, welcoming today’s decision in a press release. (APA, 29.2.2024)
Sources: Der Standard – translated from the German – EU parliament news
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