Berlin relaxes Airbnb regulations
Germany: Officials in Berlin have decided to relax one of Europe’s strictest regimes for short-term rental companies.
From May 1, private individuals will be able to rent out their main home without time limitations, while second/holiday homes will be limited to 90 days a year.
The change comes after the Berlin administrative court confirmed in several rulings that home sharing does not impact the local housing market.
A May 2016 ruling had clamped down on the practice, allowing home owners to only renting out one room via specialised web portals such as Airbnb or Wimdu, with a 100,000 euro (£120,000) fine available for those breaching the rule.
Airbnb Germany head Alexander Schwarz hailed the rule change: “We welcome that Berlin embraces home-sharing in creating new rules that benefit regular people who want to share their homes with travellers”.
City authorities estimate between 20,000 and 30,000 properties or rooms are rented out on a temporary basis.
