New construction against Airbnb: Political storm for a ban on rent!

New construction against Airbnb: Political storm for a ban on rent!

The debate about short -term rentals in Vienna picks up speed. Markus Reiter, the district leader of Vienna-Neubau, from the ranks of the Greens, has announced that it will strengthen the measures against platforms such as Airbnb. He recently removed an illegal key box on Sankt-Ulrichs-Platz, which served as a secret transfer station for tourists. This action is not only a sign, but also part of a larger strategy that is supposed to contain illegal commercial use of living space. Reiter made it clear that he would carry out further such measures until a general ban comes into force.

The situation is tense: According to Reiter, the number of apartments in the district rented via such platforms in the past ten years, from 70 in 2014 to 720 in 2024. Georg Prack, the Wiener Greens' residential building authority, underlines that 4 % of the apartments in the district have already been withdrawn by short -term rentals.

Criticism of existing regulations

The legal framework does not seem to be sufficient to secure the living space for the local population. Reiter criticizes the existing regulations that have allowed a maximum of 90 days a year for short -term tourist rentals since July 2024. These measures are hardly effective in the densely built -up inner city districts, says Reiter. He sees another weak point in the building code, which allows up to 20 % of a property for commercial use - a fact that politics wants to tackle.

In order to solve the problem holistically, riders and Prack require a general ban on commercial short -term rental in residential areas within the belt. In addition, short -term rental in the outdoor districts should only be significantly limited. Reiter appeals to the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the NEOS to also include this regulation in the new government program.

EU-wide trends and regulations

However, the focus is not only on the problem in Vienna. Europe -wide, the number of short -term rentals via platforms such as Airbnb, Booking.com and Co. are increasingly making private apartments in city centers. In the European Union, short -term rentals now make up almost a quarter of all accommodations. This development also brings challenges for cities: the lack of affordable living space for locals is becoming increasingly noticeable.

The EU reacts to these challenges by introducing a regulation from May 2024 to create a digital infrastructure for short -term rentals. This new regulation enables Member States to take more local measures and to host and collect registered data for accommodation. A central digital access area will make access to important booking data easier for the authorities in the future.

For Viennese politics, the situation is both a challenge and an appeal for ability to act. Markus Reiter emphasizes how important it is to secure living space for the population and at the same time draw attention to the stresses from mass tourism. He calls on the citizens to report suspicious key boxes in public space in order to counter the problem together.