The EU Council has agreed on a position regarding the collection and exchange of data on short-term rentals. It is planned to create a single registry, through which Internet platforms (such as Airbnb and Booking) will send all data on properties for short-term rentals. 

At the moment, information from online platforms operating in the short-term rental market is not standardized among the EU member states. But soon everything may come to a single model: according to the idea of the Council of the European Union, EU member states will have to create a national «single digital entry point» for the transfer of data between online short-term rental platforms and government agencies.

Important talking points:

  • Every short-term rental house, apartment, or room will have a registration number.
  • Online platforms will have to conduct regular spot checks to stop incorrect landlord applications or non-existent registration numbers from appearing. 
  • Member states will be required to provide the necessary information so that government agencies, online platforms, landlords, and citizens can understand the laws and requirements related to short-term rental services in their territory. 

— This regulation will benefit players of the short-term accommodation rental segment alike: hosts will have an easy registration procedure, platforms will have a single set of rules for the information they have to provide, travelers will be better protected against fraud, and authorities will be able to regulate based on accurate and reliable data, — Ebba Busch, Swedish Minister for Energy, Business and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister, claimed.

According to a press release from the EU Council, the common strategy adopted by the Council permits it to start negotiations with the European Parliament once that body has decided its position.