As the European Union moves forward on adopting uniform regulations for short-term rentals, a new study looks at how data being collected as part of the process could enable local authorities to adopt targeted and proportionate regulatory policies based on up-to-date and granular market data.
The better availability of data could also raise the bar for the justification of market access restrictions, according to the study from eu travel tech, the European association of travel technology companies. That could lead to a shift from total bans and quotas to more targeted measures such as night caps and authorization plans for clearly defined geographical areas.
European regulators agreed earlier this year on a common approach to data collection and sharing from short-term accommodation platforms such as Booking.com, Airbnb, Tripadvisor and Vrbo. The regulations are intended to reduce bureaucracy for hosts and online platforms while providing authorities with the data required to regulate the sector, which the EU estimates now accounts for 25% of total tourist accommodations.
The study, funded by eu travel tech, was conducted by Christoph Busch, a law professor at Germany’s University of Osnabrück. Busch expressed high hopes in a LinkedIn post for how greater access to data might improve government policies.
“If the STR regulation is a success, it could become a model for data-driven policymaking in other areas of the platform economy,” he wrote.
Providing oversight of short-term rentals and striking the right balance between the needs of travelers and local communities has been a global issue. Earlier this month, New York City began enforcement on new rules that require hosts to register with the city and bars them from renting out an entire apartment or home while requiring that they be present during guests’ stays. Fines for hosts who violate the rules range up to $5,000, while platforms such as Airbnb face penalties of up to $1,500 for processing payments from unregistered hosts.