EU sets eyes on Airbnb in latest data regulation push
After taking on Big Tech in a swathe of new laws, European regulators are now setting their sights on the short-term home rental industry.
Under new draft rules introduced by the European Commission, firms like Airbnb will have to share data on the number of people who use their services, as well as how many nights were spent in their holiday hotspots in Europe.
As first reported by Reuters, this data will be stored in a single data entry point that will be available to public authorities.
“We want Airbnb to be part of the solution to challenges facing cities, which is why we have consistently championed the EU’s work to update its rules for technology platforms,” the San Francisco headquartered firm said in a statement. It said it looked forward to any EU proposals.
There have been concerns in recent years that companies like Airbnb have fed into housing shortages across major cities.
The firm has capped the number of days per year that homes can be rented out in central Paris and London, for instance.
The Commission plans to adopt a proposal for a regulation to ensure transparency on the short-term accommodation rental market next Monday.