Airbnb Regulation from the European Parliament:The European Parliament has adopted a legal regulation that limits short-term home rental applications over the internet, such as Airbnb.
In order to protect the public against the increasing housing problem in European cities, the European Parliament adopted a legal regulation that limits short-term home rental applications over the internet, such as Airbnb.
The law aims to “protect consumers from fraudulent short-term rental offers, while also reducing the pressure on the housing sector due to the decrease in long-term rentals.”
The proposed law, which includes “new rules for a responsible and transparent short-term rental sector”, was discussed at the European Parliament General Assembly on Thursday.
According to the news of Yusuf Özkan from BBC Turkish; The new law was accepted with 493 votes to 14. 33 MPs abstained.
WHY WAS LEGAL REGULATION NEEDED?
According to the regulation prepared by the European Parliament, with the spread of online platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and TripAdvisor, the volume of short-term accommodation rental services throughout the European Union (EU) has increased significantly.
Online short-term rentals have reached 25 percent of total tourist accommodation in the EU.
In other words, one in every four tourist accommodations is made through short-term rental.
Although such rentals are beneficial for homeowners, tourists and some businesses, they have begun to cause difficulties, especially for the housing market.
Due to the lack of appropriate rules regarding short-term rentals, high housing prices have led to increased problems such as displacement of permanent residents, overtourism and unfair competition.
For this reason, many touristic European cities have started to impose strict rules against applications such as Airbnb.
In Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, and Paris, the capital of France, a restriction was placed on the holiday rental period of residences.
In the Netherlands, which is facing a serious housing shortage, approximately 7 thousand houses are rented for short periods through Airbnb.
For this reason, homeowners in the Netherlands are limited to short-term rentals of houses for a maximum of 30 days per year.
The city of Barcelona, Spain, has banned online short-term rental applications.
23 EU member states introduced new rules for short-term online rental applications in 2022. Preparations for legal regulations on this issue continue in other countries.
The Parliament brought this regulation to the agenda throughout Europe to both prevent problems arising from short-term rentals and to eliminate the fragmentation created by different local rules in the internal market.
WHAT DOES THE NEW LAW INCLUDE?
The new law adopted by the European Parliament aims to make the rules introduced to restrict short-term rentals across the EU more enforceable from a single source.
The regulation, which is stated to ensure that quality data will lead to better sanctions and fewer illegal rentals, includes the following measures:
Simple registration procedure
Online platforms that facilitate short-term rental services will have to comply with the registration procedures and data sharing obligations applicable to the properties on their lists in the regions in which they operate.
Through a simple online registration procedure, relevant authorities will be allowed to identify the homeowner and his unit and verify their information.
Safer rental services for tourists
Sites providing short-term rental services will need to ensure that the information provided by landlords is reliable and complete, and that the registration number is clearly visible.
Under the law, relevant authorities may suspend registration numbers and request online platforms to remove illegal listings.
Platforms or system providers that do not work in compliance with the authorities may be penalized. Airbnb Regulation from the European Parliament
Healthy data sharing
A single digital entry point will be created for EU member states to regularly access data on landlord activities registered on short-term rental sites.
Collecting data such as the night the house was rented and the number of people staying, address, registration number; authorities’ compliance with landlord registration processes and will enable national authorities to implement appropriate policies in the short-term accommodation rental sector.
What do the parties say about the law?
Dutch Green Left Party MP Kim Van Sparrentak, who prepared the law proposal, emphasized that there is an increase in illegal short-term holiday rentals in European cities and said, “This makes life more difficult in European cities.”
According to Sparrentak, the new law will eliminate illegal rentals. Thanks to regular data sharing, speculations will be prevented. It will contribute to local authorities tackling the housing crisis by securing access to affordable housing.
Georgina Browes, Airbnb’s EU Policies Officer, said in her statement: “For the first time, the rules of the road are becoming clear. “This benefits homeowners, officials and visitors,” he said.
When will the law come into force?
The law adopted by the European Parliament will be published in the Official Journal of the EU, following the approval of the EU Commission.
The new law, which will be approved by the parliaments of member states, will come into force throughout the EU within 2 years at the latest.
Türkiye also introduced new rules for short-term residential rentals.
RECOMMENDED READING
Regulation on Residences Rented for Tourism Purposes is in the Official Gazette
