EU-wide rule

Airbnb hosts must register in future

A new EU regulation on private short-term rentals via platforms such as Airbnb is to be adopted on Monday. For example, it provides for a registration requirement for hosts. In future, authorities will receive comprehensive guest and overnight stay data.

Private short-term rentals via online platforms such as Airbnb have been playing an increasingly important role for years. According to the State Secretariat, they account for around a quarter of all offers in the European Union (EU). However, the current procedure is not always considered transparent. The EU is therefore planning a unique registration number for each unit, which in future will be mandatory on the respective online platform. Conversely, the authorities will receive comprehensive guest and accommodation data from the platforms.

The authorities in Austria will therefore know exactly who is renting and where they are renting and will be able to take targeted measures if necessary.

Tourismusstaatssekretärin Susanne Kraus-Winkler

"Creates fair competition"
This offers advantages on several levels, said Austria's State Secretary for Tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler (ÖVP). "On the one hand, the authorities in Austria will know exactly who is renting and where they are renting and can - if necessary - take targeted measures. This creates transparency in supply and fair competition. On the other hand, mandatory registration is also a prerequisite for the planned implementation of a digital guest directory in Austria." This will both improve the data situation and enable tourism policy decisions to be made at all levels.

Susanne Kraus-Winkler (ÖVP)(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

Accommodation register planned in Austria
An accommodation register is also planned in Austria; legal issues and the technical implementation still need to be clarified. Approval of the EU regulation also came from the Chamber of Commerce: "A registration requirement will now make it easier to combat illegal offers and create the basic prerequisite for fair and functioning competition in the room rental sector: a level playing field for equal activities," said Johann Spreitzhofer, Chairman of the Hotel Industry Association, in a press release.

The new regulation will soon be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will enter into force 20 days later. The corresponding accompanying laws in the individual countries can be enacted up to two years later.