Tourism: Council gives its final approval to the regulation for short-term rentals

The Council has today adopted a regulation on data collection and sharing for short-term accommodation rental services. This legislative act will enhance transparency in the field of short-term accommodation rentals and will help public authorities regulate this increasingly important part of the tourism sector. This is the last step in the decision-making procedure.

The short-term rental regulation is an important building block in ensuring greater transparency in the field of short-term rental and in supporting public authorities to promote sustainable tourism. The collection and sharing of data will enable effective and proportionate local policies to be put in place to address the challenges and opportunities associated with the short-term rental sector. The regulation strikes a balance between promoting innovation and protecting communities. It allows fair competition within the sector while guaranteeing quality for consumers. Overall, the regulation will contribute to a more sustainable tourism ecosystem and support its digital transition.

Valérie De Bue, Walloon Minister for Tourism

Transparency and data collection

The new rules introduce harmonised registration requirements for hosts and short-term rental properties, including the granting of a unique registration number to be displayed on property websites and online platforms. Hosts will submit simple information to obtain this registration number, which will be required to provide short-term accommodation rental services. Online platforms will have to provide information regularly to a single digital entry point in the member states on the rental activities of their hosts. This will help the competent authorities to produce reliable statistics and to take well-informed regulatory measures.

Next steps

Following the Council’s approval today of the European Parliament’s position, the legislative act has been adopted.

After being signed by the President of the European Parliament and the President of the Council, the regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force on the twentieth day following its publication. It shall apply 24 months after its entry into force.

Background

The rental of apartments, houses or rooms for short periods of time has become a common form of accommodation for tourists and travellers. Online platforms have boosted the use of these services, which currently amount to nearly one quarter of total tourist accommodation in the EU. This regulation is limited to harmonise the creation of an easy-to-use registration system with common provisions and is not intended to regulate access to the market on these activities.