EUROPEAN CITIES FIGHT BACK BY TIGHTENING REGULATIONS ON AIRBNB

New regulations have been put in place for Airbnb in France. In late January, the National Assembly passed a cross-party bill to address imbalances in the rental market in high-demand areas.

A key change is the reduction of the tax allowance rate for income from furnished tourist rentals to 30%, down from the previous rates of 71% or 50%. The bill also requires energy efficiency testing and introduces new regulatory tools for mayors.

France is not the only European country to impose regulations on Airbnb and the company. In the Netherlands, Amsterdam has strict rules that do not allow Airbnb rentals, including houseboats and houses, for more than thirty days per year. Only a maximum of four people are allowed at a time, except for families with children. In Spain, private house rooms are only rented for 31 days. It is important to note that a tourist license is mandatory to rent a villa or apartment in Spain.

You can rent an entire house in London, UK, the capital city and its immediate suburbs. However, the maximum overnight stay is ninety days per year. There are no such restrictions on homestays.

In 2016, Berlin, Germany banned landlords from renting out their properties on various platforms. But that decision was later reversed, and it’s now allowed again, provided you have permission. The period of renting other houses, however, is limited to ninety days in a year.