Holidaymakers being evicted from Airbnbs
Home rental website criticised as lettings fall foul of new rules in growing number of countries
Scores of holidaymakers are reportedly being evicted or having their holidays cut short owing to legal problems with their Airbnb rental accommodation.
The home-sharing site “is said to be allowing houses to be listed in countries where many short-term holiday lettings have been restricted or banned”, reports The Sun.
Airbnb has surged in popularity since launching in 2008 and now lists more than five million properties across 191 countries.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But the company has been “facing legal battles in cities around the world”, with “many introducing tough regulations”, says The Guardian - and it “appears that holidaymakers are being caught in the crossfire”.
According to the Daily Mail, some tourists “are arriving at properties to find ‘No Airbnb’ signs posted inside the buildings, security guards who want to interrogate them and a hostile reception from other residents”.
In the worst scenarios, “guests are being denied entry to properties or even evicted by police part way through their stay”, the newspaper says.
Japan is the latest country to introduce stricter regulations on Airbnb. This month the site was forced to withdraw tens of thousands of listings from its site and cancel reservations ahead of a new law clamping down on private residences, says The Daily Telegraph.
“This announcement came as a surprise to us. It was contrary to the guidance our team had previously been given by the Japanese Tourism Agency and put the travel experiences of thousands of visitors to Japan at risk,” Airbnb said in a statement reported by Reuters.
From next month, the Majorcan capital of Palma will ban apartment owners from renting their properties to tourists, says The Sun. Under the new rules, anyone trying to rent out an apartment on a short-term basis could be fined up to €40,000 (£35,000).
Meanwhile, in Paris listings for entire homes in the centre of the city – the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th arrondissements – can only be for a maximum total of 120 nights a year.
In Madrid, proposed rules announced last month “will prevent properties from being rented out via Airbnb for more than 90 days a year”, reports The Guardian.
Governments and local residents in these areas blame Airbnb and other short-term rental companies “for pricing out long-term renters and sidestepping the regulations and taxes imposed on hotels and registered apartments”, says the Telegraph.
But Airbnb insists it works with local officials to implement regulations.
A spokesman told the Daily Mail: “Airbnb has already worked with 500 government authorities on measures to help families share their homes and follow the rules, and we’ll continue to expand this as we grow, ensuring everyone benefits from the rewards of home sharing.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'A speaker courageous enough to stand up to the extremists in his own party'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
How could the Supreme Court's Fischer v. US case impact the other Jan 6. trials including Trump's?
Today's Big Question A former Pennsylvania cop might hold the key to a major upheaval in how the courts treat the Capitol riot — and its alleged instigator
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 18, 2024
Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - impeachment Peanuts, record-breaking temperatures, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Geopolitics and the economy in 2024
Talking Point The West is banking on a year of falling inflation. Don't rule out a shock
By The Week UK Published
-
US-led price cap on Russian oil 'almost completely circumvented'
Speed Read 'Almost none' of seaborne crude oil from Moscow stayed below $60 per barrel limit imposed by G7 and EU last year
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Mexico's Sinaloa cartel bans fentanyl, reportedly under pain of death
Speed Read The top exporter of fentanyl to the U.S. is apparently looking to diversify as law enforcement turns up the heat
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The threat posed by bonds to the global financial system
Under The Radar The worst bear market in a century is unleashing huge strain on parts of the financial system
By The Week Staff Published
-
China: a superpower’s slump
The Explainer After 40 years of explosive growth, China’s economy is now in deep distress — with no turnaround in sight
By The Week Staff Published
-
Are Western sanctions working on Russia’s growing economy?
Today's Big Question IMF forecasts Russian growth but one expert says the West must be patient in bid to deter Putin
By Arion McNicoll Published
-
South Africa’s energy crisis explained
feature Electricity blackouts lead to rising crime and economic hardship and add to pressure on ANC
By The Week Staff Published
-
India’s geopolitical aspirations in 2023
feature The emerging Asian superpower is showing ‘growing confidence’ on the world stage
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published