European committee backs new short-term rental rules

Proposed framework sets out a simple, online registration procedure for hosts and OTAs to ensure registration is reliable and complete

The Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee's position is that though these platforms have driven tourism and economic development to several underserved parts of Europe, they have also contributed to the “touristification” of cities, impacting housing affordability and livability.

Key takeaways

• Short-term rentals, booked through platforms like Airbnb and Booking, represent around 25% of tourist accommodation in the EU and number increasing;
• The committee believes that new policies regulating short-term rentals should give platforms opportunities to grow while respecting policy objectives like affordable housing, protection of urban centres and rural areas, and lead to safer and more sustainable tourism;
• The new proposed rules will make sure that cities have access to the necessary data to enforce local rules, and platforms are getting more responsibility in supporting the removal of illegal listings, in line with the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Get the full story at European Parliament

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