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

On Thursday, the European Parliament passed a regulation concerning the sharing and collection of data for Short-Term accommodation Rental services (STR). 

This piece of legislation is crucial for many European cities, in particular those facing housing shortages and challenges related to tourism.

The main benefit for cities is that the regulation imposes data-sharing obligations on short-term rental platforms — data we have been demanding for years, but never received.

These new obligations, including the mandatory removal of illegal advertisements, will help us enforce existing regulations. 

Local rules ensure a balanced development of short-term rentals in our society, protect the liveability of our neighbourhoods and prevent residential housing from being withdrawn from the market. 

As online servicing of short-term rentals is by nature transnational, an EU legislative initiative was imperative.

We welcome this EU regulation, which marks the end of a process that started in 2018. Back then, the European Cities Alliance on Short-Term Holiday Rentals, led by my own city Amsterdam, shared its concerns with the European Commission on the impact of short-term rentals on cities.

These temporary online-serviced accommodations had seen impressive growth in the previous years, leading local governments to implement rules to protect public interests. 

However, city administrations had no information about where the accommodation was located, for how many nights it was available, or how many guests were involved.

We do not oppose short-term rentals. However, there must be a balanced regulatory approach to the subject. 

For enforcement of these rules, such as limiting the maximum number of rentals allowed per year in an accommodation,