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European Commission proposes Affordable Housing Act to regulate short-term rentals
The European Commission is set to present the Affordable Housing Act, a new regulation designed to provide local and regional authorities with legal tools to combat the housing crisis. The proposed framework aims to address rising property costs and limited availability by allowing municipalities to restrict short-term holiday rentals and limit the purchase of properties not intended for primary residences in designated “housing stress” areas.
Under the proposal, an area is classified as being under housing stress if the ratio of average property prices to average resident income is 8 or higher, provided this trend has persisted for at least 10 years without improvement. The regulation would be directly applicable across all EU Member States without requiring individual national laws.
The announcement has met with significant opposition from industry stakeholders. Booking.com has argued against EU-level intervention, suggesting that updated guidelines would be more appropriate to preserve the single market. In Italy, property owners and tourism associations have expressed concerns that the criteria could unfairly penalize tourist destinations and infringe upon property rights. While the Commission views the measure as a way to prioritize housing as a right over profit, critics warn of potential legal disputes and economic impacts on the tourism sector.
Entities
Affordable Housing Act · Airbnb · Booking.com · Dan Jørgensen · European Commission · European Parliament · European Union · Teresa Ribera
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The final adoption of the regulation through the ordinary legislative procedure is not anticipated before 2028. www.insiciliareport.it · www.supertvoristano.it · www.italianotizie24.it
- [● 23 SOURCES] The housing stress ratio must have shown an upward trend for at least 10 years. www.insiciliareport.it · www.stilemargherita.it · www.supertvoristano.it · www.24hod.sk · www.iodonna.it · +18 more
- [● 25 SOURCES] The European Commission is set to present the Affordable Housing Act on September 9. www.insiciliareport.it · www.stilemargherita.it · www.supertvoristano.it · www.inliberta.it · www.24hod.sk · +20 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Booking.com has expressed opposition to European-level legislative intervention, preferring updated guidelines instead. www.inliberta.it · canaledieci.it · quotidianodifoggia.it · www.secoloditalia.it · www.notizie.it · +1 more
- [● 23 SOURCES] As a regulation, the act will be directly applicable across all EU Member States without requiring national laws. www.insiciliareport.it · www.stilemargherita.it · www.supertvoristano.it · www.inliberta.it · www.italianotizie24.it · +18 more
- [● 26 SOURCES] The proposed regulation would grant local authorities the power to restrict short-term rentals in designated areas. www.insiciliareport.it · www.stilemargherita.it · www.supertvoristano.it · www.inliberta.it · www.24hod.sk · +21 more
- [● 23 SOURCES] An area is classified as being under housing stress if the ratio of average property prices to average resident income is 8 or higher. www.insiciliareport.it · www.stilemargherita.it · www.supertvoristano.it · www.inliberta.it · www.24hod.sk · +18 more
- [● 24 SOURCES] Local authorities could restrict the purchase of properties that are not intended for use as a primary residence. www.stilemargherita.it · www.iodonna.it · www.insiciliareport.it · www.supertvoristano.it · www.inliberta.it · +19 more
- [● 14 SOURCES] The regulation aims to address the housing crisis by providing legal tools to local authorities. information.tv5monde.com · observador.pt · www.insiciliareport.it · www.stilemargherita.it · www.supertvoristano.it · +9 more
- [DISPUTED] Dan Jørgensen stated that short-term rentals are not the cause of the housing crisis but exacerbate it in some large cities. www.emlakdream.com · www.24hod.sk