New EU rules to stop illegal short-term rentals are a welcome change

On Thursday, the European Parliament handed a regulation regarding the sharing and assortment of information for Brief-Time period lodging Rental companies (STR). 

This piece of laws is essential for a lot of European cities, specifically these going through housing shortages and challenges associated to tourism.

The principle profit for cities is that the regulation imposes data-sharing obligations on short-term rental platforms — information we’ve been demanding for years, however by no means obtained.

These new obligations, together with the obligatory elimination of unlawful ads, will assist us implement current laws. 

It is a matter of a balanced strategy

Native guidelines guarantee a balanced improvement of short-term leases in our society, defend the liveability of our neighbourhoods and stop residential housing from being withdrawn from the market. 

As on-line servicing of short-term leases is by nature transnational, an EU legislative initiative was crucial.

We welcome this EU regulation, which marks the tip of a course of that began in 2018. Again then, the European Cities Alliance on Brief-Time period Vacation Leases, led by my very own metropolis Amsterdam, shared its considerations with the European Fee on the affect of short-term leases on cities.

These non permanent online-serviced lodging had seen spectacular progress within the earlier years, main native governments to implement guidelines to guard public pursuits. 

Nevertheless, metropolis administrations had no details about the place the lodging was situated, for what number of nights it was obtainable, or what number of friends had been concerned.

We don’t oppose short-term leases. Nevertheless, there have to be a balanced regulatory strategy to the topic. 

For enforcement of those guidelines, similar to limiting the utmost variety of leases allowed per yr in an lodging, entry to information is crucial.

Whereas tourism is on the rise, reasonably priced housing for residents is diminishing

To make sure a broader understanding of this subject, there are a number of dimensions to spotlight.

Firstly, European cities supply a few of the most lovely historic centres on the earth and play a key position in making Europe the highest vacation spot in a rising tourism trade. 

The European Journey Fee expects worldwide vacationer arrivals to Europe to succeed in pre-pandemic ranges this yr, which is a yr sooner than anticipated. In brief, tourism is on the rise.

Whereas cities will proceed to be open and welcoming, there’s a threat that imbalances will happen between the rising numbers of holiday makers and our native inhabitants. Curbing unlawful short-term leases is among the keys we’ve to restoring and sustaining this steadiness.

Secondly, many European cities face a persistent and rising lack of reasonably priced and respectable housing. In Amsterdam, for instance, there’s presently a ready listing of roughly 13 years for social housing for these with modest incomes.

In the meantime, on the personal rental market, costs are prohibitively excessive, far past what common households can afford. 

Limits on short-term leases are wanted to make sure our housing inventory stays obtainable for residential use, to have the ability to accommodate all the scholars, academics, police, healthcare staff, store retailers, taxi drivers, and lots of different residents that contribute to the social cloth of our cities.

Lastly, native governments have an essential duty for safeguarding livability of their cities. Brief-term leases require regulation, because the nameless nature of those non permanent stays, that are often based mostly in residential areas, are likely to correlate with native disturbances, similar to litter and noise.

The brand new regulation will profit everybody

Our cities’ alliance is grateful to the European Fee for proposing laws aligned with our targets. This regulation not solely serves the general public pursuits I’ve already talked about but additionally advantages shoppers by selling transparency and stopping vacationers from staying in unlawful lodging.

We hope the brand new regulation will shut the lengthy chapter of litigations through which our native guidelines have been disputed by on-line platforms — and should it mark a brand new starting for cooperation between public authorities and the sector.

The regulation is a promising step ahead in attaining a balanced ecosystem for short-term leases, serving the pursuits of each the general public and guests in our cities. Our alliance will intently monitor its implementation and goals to be concerned as a key stakeholder in its analysis.

Femke Halsema is Mayor of Amsterdam, writing on behalf of the European Cities Alliance on Brief-Time period Vacation Leases: Amsterdam, Arezzo, Barcelona, Berlin, Bologna, Brussels, Budapest, Florence, Krakow, Lyon, Madrid, Munich, Paris, Prague, Porto, Utrecht, Valencia, Vienna, Warsaw and Eurocities.

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