HOTREC unveils new report on Short-Term Rentals

HOTREC is expecting the European Commission to present its Short-Term Rental Initiative by the end of 2022. In anticipation of the initiative, HOTREC published a new report on Short-Term Rentals (STRs). The report provides a vision of how to regulate short-term rentals and an analysis of key regulatory developments from the past. Together with the report, HOTREC also published a position paper summarising key findings of the report.

The growth of STR accommodation phenomena brought many risks: unfair competition, safety hazards consumers are exposed to, unreported tax income and pressure on affordable housing. To address these challenges, HOTREC believes that the upcoming initiative should establish a level playing field across all accommodation services and propose a framework that will protect and benefit consumers, residents, local communities and the entire EU tourism ecosystem.

The initiative should therefore establish a mandatory host registration system and mandatory data-sharing obligations; empower local authorities to manage the development of STR services, particularly regarding market access conditions for STR hosts; and support national fiscal authorities with relevant data. It should also introduce measures that will aim to reach a comparable level of health, safety and security as those already well-established for regulated tourism accommodation services (hotels, guesthouses, etc.), and ensure that basic rules apply to all STR hosts (professionals and peers).

The full report is available here. A shorter position paper can be accessed here.