The more tourists visit the country, the more active the residents and the authorities begin to fight against the most famous and massive daily apartment rental system, which is the American tourist system Airbnb. After the recent ban of Airbnb in Florence, Italy, by the decision of the local city council, mass protests against the operation of this American service swept across the 20 largest tourist cities in France.
They have announced their fighting measures in Greece as well, and they promise to introduce a flat tax and the requirement of mandatory registration throughout the EU. Outside the European Union, similar “combat actions” were announced by Turkey, where since October “illegals” who rent out housing have been fined 1 million liras.
In detail, the above is as follows: Florence city council has officially banned the “short-term” rental of new homes within the historic city center through platforms such as Airbnb. The decision passed by the City Council also includes a housing tax rebate for homeowners who abandon the short-term rental model and open their homes to long-term — meaning mostly local — residents. As the mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, said, these decisions were a response to the call of residents for help. The point is that short-term rentals have driven up rental prices in the city, and said, “In 2016, we had just under 6,000 apartments on Airbnb. Today we have almost 14,378 apartments. In the last year alone, housing prices have increased by 15.1%,” he said. Read more about Florence here.
Residents of 20 French cities are calling on their authorities to follow this example, where there is a campaign to ban the Airbnb system – at least in the historic center. Campaigners are calling on the government to take action as rampant development is leaving town centers empty – as rents rise, forcing residents out of the area. At the same time, Airbnb has at its disposal almost 800,000 housing objects in France, 22,000 of which are located in the capital, Paris. And the Prime Minister announced three days ago that such rules will be introduced.
In Greece, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also announced that the government would tax those who rent out homes on Airbnb. As part of the measures taken to help those affected by the recent floods, a cooperation agreement was signed with companies engaged in short-term housing rentals. Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO (Expedia). It is noted that the signed agreement will increase the income received from the system of short-term rental companies tenfold.
In general, the European Union (EU) also adopts rules on this issue. Thus, the European Parliament has already adopted a resolution that requires the registration of vacation rentals and residences for tourist use. According to the document, a digital registration system for short-term rental properties should be created, and information provided by landlords should be accurate and complete.
We will remind you that Turkey has also joined the active fight against Airbnb, and mainly against “illegals” who rent out their purchased apartments within the framework of the system. There, in October, a decree from the Turkish Ministry of Tourism regarding Airbnb and other apartment rental services should come into effect. At the moment, the proposal is presented to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey – and after approval, it will become law. There, in particular, it is planned to fine 1 million liras for those willing to rent out their houses and apartments without a license. And in order to obtain a license, you need to fulfill many extremely difficult conditions.