An EU official in Brussels said on Monday that short-term rentals account for a quarter of all tourist accommodation. However, rentals through platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.com have made it very difficult to predict how many tourists will arrive. According to the EU Commission, there are some complaints from local authorities about too much tourism. In individual cases, European cities have already taken action. In Amsterdam, for example, the Airbnb registration requirement came into force last year to curb mass tourism.
The innovations aim to enable cities and municipalities to better prepare for the future. Concretely, this should be achieved by reporting the number of guests staying and the length of stay. With the new data, for example, shows such as waste disposal, but also the opening times of tourist information or the timing of waste disposal can be better organized.
In addition, hosts must register their accommodation with the authorities, which must also contribute to the safety of consumers. The European Union Commission does not anticipate any additional costs for guests.
Not only internet giants like Airbnb or Booking.com, but also smaller platforms should be affected by the new rules. Providers with fewer than 2,500 hosts per month on average may be subject to relaxed rules. Those who do not comply with the planned requirements shall be penalized by the national authorities. Whether these are fines or other measures is at the discretion of the EU countries concerned. The new elements should also lead to more sustainable tourism.
Now EU countries and the European Parliament must discuss the proposals. Only when the two institutions agree can the bill become EU law. In addition, a two-year transition period is planned in order to establish methods for data exchange.