The European Union is preparing a new framework to facilitate the regulation of short-term tourist rentals offered on platforms like Airbnb. Faced with a shortage of affordable housing in many European destinations, the Commission wants to allow local authorities to more easily impose restrictions without fear of their decisions being systematically challenged in court.
The project, integrated into future European legislation on affordable housing, would establish common criteria for identifying areas under intense housing pressure. Factors such as the relationship between prices and incomes, demographic trends, the level of rental supply, and the growth in demand could be taken into account. The cities concerned would then be authorized to implement quotas, limit the number of overnight stays, or protect existing tourist rentals while blocking new permits.
Local restrictions that are still legally fragile
Paris, Amsterdam , Berlin, and Florence have already strengthened their regulations, while Barcelona plans to ban short-term tourist rentals by 2028. However, these measures are regularly challenged by landlords and platforms, who argue that they uphold freedom of enterprise and the free movement of services. Brussels therefore wants to clarify the conditions under which restrictions can be considered proportionate, non-discriminatory, and justified by the public interest.
However, the platforms dispute their central responsibility in the housing crisis. Short-term rentals represent approximately 1,2% of the European housing stock, but their concentration can reach 20% in some highly touristic destinations. Airbnb and industry organizations fear that overly strict limitations will penalize individuals dependent on this income as well as the tourism economy. The legislation will still need to be examined and negotiated by the European Parliament and member states before it can potentially come into force.
