Airbnb has long-led calls for more harmonized EU rules to tackle the bloc’s fragmented regulations and we welcome proposals from the EU Commission today. Under the proposals, local rules must be clear and simple for everyday Hosts to follow, and authorities will have better access to data via a harmonized data sharing framework to support effective policy-making.
One year ago, Airbnb’s EU Host Action Plan called for a clear, simple and harmonized EU framework to unlock the benefits of hosting for millions of European families and give governments the information they need to clamp down on speculators and overtourism. This announcement marks a significant step towards that goal and is good news for everyone.
These proposals provide a framework for Airbnb to scale our collaborations with governments and make it easier for everyday Europeans to share their homes and follow the rules. We have long-supported the EU’s work on new STR rules. By taking a more harmonized approach to regulation, industry and governments can better work together to improve access to data, boost transparency and address disproportionate local rules that undermine the single market and prevent European families from sharing their homes to boost their income.
Georgina Browes, Head of EU Public Policy
Airbnb welcomes regulation and wants to be part of the solution to challenges facing communities, which is why we have worked with governments across the EU to help Hosts share their homes, follow the rules and pay tax. We also share data on short-term rental activity via our partnership with Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, and are preparing to comply with the common tax reporting framework for digital platforms, known as DAC 7.
At the same time, we have long-heard from many everyday Europeans who are excluded from the benefits of hosting due to fragmented and disproportionate local rules, which were often designed with large scale tourism operators in mind and are not accessible to everyday Europeans.
Over a year ago, Airbnb and thousands of EU citizens responded to the EU’s Short-Term Rental Initiative consultation as an opportunity to fix the negative impacts of fragmented rules across the bloc. We put forward proposals for more clear, simple and harmonized EU rules to support everyday Hosts, including commitments to share data at the EU-level that local governments can access to support effective policy-making and enforcement activity.
The EU is home to more Hosts on Airbnb than any region in the world and the vast majority of Hosts are regular people who share one listing. The typical EU Host earned just over €3,000 last year and 40 percent say the additional income helps them afford rising living costs. In 2019, travel on Airbnb supported almost 345,000 EU jobs and generated nearly €19 billion GDP contribution through guest spending.
Airbnb is also investing in tech-driven solutions to help address challenges associated with the growth of tourism in Europe. Last week, we shared data showing our ‘flexible search’ features diverting bookings from Europe’s most over-touristed destinations and peak travel dates. The City Portal – Airbnb’s custom-built platform for governments to access data, information and enforcement tools on Airbnb – has also been adopted by more than 300 governments globally, including 174 in Europe. Airbnb’s tax collaborations have also seen more than $6 billion of tourist tax revenues collected and remitted globally, including $573 million (€511 million) in the EU.
We look forward to working with the EU Commission on the specific details of this regulation as we move forward.
Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 4 million Hosts who have welcomed more than 1 billion guest arrivals across over 220 countries and regions. Travel on Airbnb keeps more of the financial benefits of tourism with the people and places that make it happen. Airbnb has generated billions of dollars in earnings for Hosts, most of whom are individuals listing the homes in which they live. Among Hosts who report their gender, more than half are women, and one in five employed Hosts are either teachers or healthcare workers. Travel on Airbnb also has generated more than $4 billion in tax revenue around the world. Airbnb has helped advance more than 1,000 regulatory frameworks for short-term rentals, including in 80% of our top 200 geographies. In late 2020, to support our continued expansion and diversification, we launched the City Portal to provide governments with a one-stop shop that supports data sharing and compliance with local registration rules. We continue to invest in innovations and tools to support our ongoing work with governments around the world to advance travel that best serves communities.
Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.”s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org”s charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows Hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, Hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.
Airbnb Press
Airbnb Press Office
Airbnb
Hospitality Net membership explained