New EU short-term rental rules are an example to the world – POLITICO

Around 15 years after Airbnb began, EU institutions are in the process of giving their final approvals to the world’s first template on how to regulate our platform and industry. We not only welcome this watershed moment as an opportunity to begin a new chapter in our relationships with governments, but we believe the leadership shown by the EU is an example to the world. 

When the first Airbnb guests stepped into our San Francisco apartment in 2008, Brian, Joe and I could never have imagined how that experience would blossom into the global community we see today. 

Fast-forward 1.5 billion guest arrivals, $180 billion earned by hosts, $9 billion paid to authorities in tourism taxes and Airbnb today counts more than 7 million listings in more than 220 countries and regions globally. 

And while the company began in San Francisco, today we see more Airbnb hosts in the EU than anywhere else in the world. Airbnb is now a crucial part of Europe’s tourism industry and an economic lifeline for many families, with nearly half of surveyed Airbnb hosts in the EU saying the additional income helps them afford the rising cost of living. 

As more Europeans have turned to hosting and travelling on Airbnb, our growth has sometimes outpaced local rules which have been unclear or outdated. We recognize this challenge and have always sought to grow in collaboration with communities and governments. While we know there is always more work to be done, we are proud of our work with policymakers to help local families share their homes, follow the rules and pay tax. Today around 80 percent of our top 200 markets globally have some type of regulation in place. 

We also see the challenges that have arisen from rules evolving simultaneously and independently across the EU. In the absence of clear regional guidance, how to write effective local rules, get access to data, protect housing and comply with EU rules has, at times, been unclear. Activity that is welcomed in one community has been restricted in another. 

In some cases, historic and burdensome local rules — which were typically designed for hotels — exclude many everyday Europeans from the economic and social opportunities offered by hosting. 

And while Airbnb, governments and regulators have not shied away from difficult conversations on regulation — far from it — the old adage of ‘building the plane while flying it’ has sometimes been appropriate. 

How short-term rentals should be regulated is an important topic for many reasons. As a platform predominantly used by ordinary people — almost 80 percent of EU hosts share only one listing — we must  recognize that the rules written for our industry have a genuine impact on the lives of everyday Europeans who use platforms like Airbnb to host and travel. 

The vast majority of the money generated by stays on Airbnb goes to local families and their communities. Local hosts keep up to 97 percent of the price they charge and over one-third of guest spending takes place in the neighborhoods where they stay — often beyond typical tourist hotspots, including in many communities with few, or no, hotels. 

At the same time, we recognize the challenges posed by the popularity of travel in Europe, and the importance of rules that balance individual freedoms with the need to protect housing and communities. 

We therefore welcome the EU’s short-term rental initiative. The new rules will provide a framework for member countries across the bloc on how to regulate our industry in a fair and proportionate way, while complying with EU law. Under these rules, local and national authorities will have increased access to data on home sharing in their communities, providing they have clear, fair and proportionate local rules in place. 

The new rules strike a balance between embracing innovation and protecting communities, as well as providing a regional framework and guardrails that respect local autonomy. 

We thank the EU for its continued leadership on this matter and we want to leverage this moment to begin a new chapter in our collaborations with governments. We are already meeting with policymakers across the bloc to discuss how new rules can support sustainable travel in their communities. 

We also hope that the EU’s common-sense example on regulation will be seen across the world. 

Beyond the EU, a decade-long struggle over how to balance individual rules, freedoms, innovation and stability in relation to short-term rentals can be seen across the world. While the vast majority of the world embraces home sharing as a positive option for its citizens, many authorities are asking themselves the same questions on rules and regulations, but coming to different conclusions about the best way forward. 

So, while we welcome the EU being the first authority to provide clear rules of the road on how to regulate our industry, we hope it will not be the last. We believe these rules provide a strong framework for the EU, and are an example to the world. We will be proactive in our work with policymakers across the region to make the new rules a success for everyone.