After two years of some of Europe’s most restrictive rules on short-term vacation rentals, Berlin is cutting Airbnb and its competitors some slack, allowing hosts to rent out their primary apartment without limits.
Since May 2016, rentals in primary residences have been limited to a single room, with the hosts staying in residence during the stay. The limitations were based on a belief that apartments needed for residence were disappearing into high-price tourist accommodations, and raising rents over all. Berlin has been known as a relatively low-rent city, but prices had been rising.
But recent rulings by the Berlin administrative court, based on data from the past two years, confirmed that home sharing has not impacted the local housing market, and has not been the cause of increased rents. Based on that, local legislators acted.
The new rules, to take effect on May 1st, will allow unlimited renting of a host’s primary residence, but limits rental of second homes to 90 days a year.
