EDITOR'S COMMENT
• After almost a year's wait for news, the European Commission is expected to introduce a proposal this week that would require the major short-term rental booking platforms in Europe to provide data on the number of users using their services and on the total nights they stay in listings to national authorities.
The update is the result of a landmark partnership between the European Union's statistical agency Eurostat and Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia Group and TripAdvisor in March 2020, which gave public authorities in Europe access to independently published data on short-term rentals rented through the platforms. Then last year, we reported how the European Commission was considering implementing a single set of pan-European rules across the bloc, and after the closure of a public consultation period on short-term rental accommodation services last December, a major announcement had long been anticipated.
It is suggested that the data collected from the booking platforms would be stored at a single digital entry point that would be available to all public authorities. Such a move would be viewed as a middle ground in placating the platforms that want to operate in compliance with local and national laws, and cities across the EU that have long called for stricter regulations of short-term rental operations due to their perceived impact on local communities.
Should the proposal eventually be approved in the European Parliament, it could prove to be a seminal moment for the short-term rental industry and set a global precedent in how to regulate other markets around the world.
• Our next RockSTRz webinar tomorrow [8 November, 4pm GMT] is an exciting one as we head towards 2023, focusing on "Analysing the hottest vacation rental growth markets". Speakers include Nino Dubretic [Direct Booker] and Sven dos Santos [Stays.net] so don't miss out on this no-cost webinar by signing up now at this link.
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