BRUSSELS- Airbnb and other short-term home rental companies will have to share data on the number of people using their platforms under proposed EU rules, the European Commission said on Monday, in a light-touch approach to regulating this sector.
The EU executive’s proposal comes as popular tourist destinations such as Paris, Venice and Barcelona blame Airbnb for aggravating housing shortages by pushing out lower-income residents.
But smaller towns and rural areas want to attract more tourists via online rental platforms, which account for a quarter of all tourist accommodation across the 27-country European Union.
The Commission’s proposal marks an effort to tackle the patchwork of different national laws across the EU regulating Airbnb and its rivals, while trying to balance the interests of cities and rural areas. — Reuters
