INDUSTRY UNLOCKED
The EU short term rental initiative consultation received over 5,500 responses , 80 % of which were from EU citizens , including short-term rental hosts struggling with disproportionate local rules .
Chris Lehane , Senior Vice President , Policy and Communications , Airbnb , said : “ The majority of EU hosts on Airbnb rent one home to help make extra income . Airbnb proposals give governments the tools they need to crack down against property speculators while allowing everyday Europeans to share their homes to supplement their earnings .”
The EU Host Action Plan aims to safeguard the benefits generated by short-term rentals in the EU while giving governments the tools they need to regulate short-term rentals effectively and tackle potential negative impacts , based on five pillars :
1 . Establishing an EU host register : A new EU-wide host register would ensure that hosts have access to fair and proportionate rules and retain their right to provide services as a fundamental freedom of the EU . A common EU system that replaces local registration would streamline registration , especially for everyday hosts who are disproportionately affected by burdensome local rules . Airbnb would support this process by ensuring only those hosts with an EU registration number are allowed to publish listings on the platform .
2 . Clarifying local rules and introducing safeguards for everyday hosts : As Airbnb work to create more economic opportunities for everyday Europeans to participate in the travel economy , Airbnb must also have a way to address cases where an over-concentration of STR speculator activity can negatively impact residents . This includes an EU policy approach which allows local governments to take action to limit property speculators .
3 . Supporting enforcement : As well as removing listings that do not show the necessary EU registration numbers , Airbnb commits to expanding access to the City Portal to support enforcement actions for local authorities and to further support and empower everyday hosts . With more than 100 partners globally , the City Portal is Airbnb ’ s purpose-built tool to support public sector regulation by providing insights on Airbnb ’ s presence in neighbourhoods , tools to help enforce laws and better access to Airbnb when needed .
4 . Greater access to data : Airbnb commits to working with EU policymakers to share data on host activity at the EU-level , and to ensure that local and national authorities have the necessary data to manage effective enforcement .
5 . Supporting local communities : Airbnb will continue to work with governments and authorities across the EU to make Airbnb part of the solution to the challenges they face . This includes expanding its Neighbourhood Support Lines to tackle noise and nuisance , leveraging its flexible travel tools to help guide guest demand to where it is needed most – as both a tool to generate economic development and disperse the concentration of travellers – and working with more governments and tax authorities to simplify and automate the payment of tourist taxes . x www . intelligentcxo . com
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