A law passed two years ago banning Berlin tourists from renting entire apartments and houses through Airbnb and other online rental portals went into effect May 1. German city’s authorities are hoping this law will keep rents as low as possible. There was a two year transition period that ended April 30.
Now non-city residents will now only be only allowed to rent out rooms via online portals. Violators who still rent whole places can be fined up to €100,000. Already, Airbnb listings dropped by 40% .
Seems like a violation of private property rights to me. People should be able to use their property as they chose to. If governments want low rental housing they should build it.
While I am sorry that it will now be more difficult to find a legally-rentable apartment on my next visit, I do recognize that regulation of businesses has been a part of government for a long time…both under capitalism and under the divine right of kings, and before.
And housing is a business, as vital a one as water and lighting. And incidentally, one in which the tenants subletting the apartments to tourists are NOT the property owners.
The issue there, and in my neighborhood, and countless others, is that it is not healthy for a city to have its residents driven away or unhoused by an auction in which those with more money outbid the working residents for a place to stay.
Wow. Thanks for posting. I had not heard about this law. I always rent apartments in Berlin but did not realize the controversy. We like to cook our own food because of special diets. I wonder what options we can find now.
That said, we have the same problem in New Orleans, which is why I have decided NOT to rent our cottage for short-term guests. I dint want to be that neighbor.
We have stayed in Berlin’s Aparthotel. Perhaps the city will be building more of such hotels.