The European Commission wants to relieve communities facing pressure on their resources due to high levels of tourism.
High levels of tourism linked to the popularity of Airbnb and other short-term rental services by introducing new transparency rules.
Accommodation platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com would share data about the number of guests, and the duration and location of their stay with national authorities to help communities adapt in response.
“We are making it easier for hosts and platforms, big or small, to contribute to greater transparency in the sector,’’ EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement on Monday.
Short-term rentals made up one-quarter of tourist accommodation in the European Union.
About 89 per cent of EU citizens would recommend the service to others, such as the service’s popularity, according to the commission.
The availability of such accommodations, however, had led to tensions in communities with housing shortages in popular tourist destinations like Barcelona and Amsterdam.
Under the proposals, providers of short-term rentals are to register the property with a national scheme.
Platforms were to validate and display the registration in compliance with national authorities.
Should the host provide incorrect or fraudulent information, national authorities have the power to suspend the registration and order the platforms to remove the property from the site under the draft law.
Airbnb, Booking.com and other smaller platforms are to share the data with national authorities on a monthly basis.
The commission does not anticipate any additional costs from the proposals.
The European Parliament and the 27 EU member states are set to scrutinise the proposals.
A two-year phase-in period follows for companies and national authorities to comply.
