Geneva caps Airbnb rentals at 60 nights per year
Switzerland: Authorities in the canton of Geneva have capped the number of nights apartments can be rented on AirBnb or other rental platforms at 60 nights a year.
The rule changes, which come in to effect on April 1st, are designed to stop people breaking the law by using private residential properties for commercial purposes. The city also hopes the move will boost the supply of rental properties for tenants who want to live in the city.
“This is not about killing off these platforms,” said Geneva councillor Antonio Hodgers. “We are conscious of the fact that Geneva is an international city and that these platforms are part of a modern offering. The renting out of a property on an occasional basis doesn’t pose a problem.”
He added that from now on anyone who rents out their property “in an intensive manner will be breaking the law”.
There are currently 1,771 properties listed on Airbnb in the city of Geneva alone, more than any other city in Switzerland. Of these 1,255 are entire properties.
A total of 32% third of those properties are in the hands of professional tourism operators, a 2016 study of Airbnb by the Zurich Tenants’ Association (MV) shows, one of the highest rates in Europe.
