Viennese politics is fighting Airbnb: Complete ban required!

Viennese politics is fighting Airbnb: Complete ban required!

In Vienna, the pressure on short -term rental over platforms such as Airbnb is getting bigger. The district leader of Vienna-Neubau, Markus Reiter from the Greens, recently taken measures to get the illegal providers under control. An illegal key box was removed on Sankt-Ulrichs-Platz, which served to hand over keys to tourists to hand over. This is part of a broader action to set an example against the inadmissible commercial use of living space. According to the rider, further steps are to follow in order to initiate a complete ban on short -term letting.

The number of apartments rented over such platforms in the 7th district has been tenfold over the past ten years - from 70 in 2014 to 720 in 2024. This corresponds to over 5% of the total residential stock in new building. "4% of the apartments in the district have already been withdrawn," recalls Georg Prack, residential building speaker of the Vienna Greens. He confirms that according to data from the Academy of Sciences, there could even be up to 3,000 Airbnb apartments in the district.

Regulations and requirements

Since July 2024, stricter rules for short -term tourist rentals have been in force in Vienna, which provide a maximum time of 90 days a year. However, Reiter considers this regulation to be largely ineffective in the densely built -up inner city districts. He particularly expresses critical comments on the building code, which allows up to 20% of a property for commercial use. In a clear cancellation, he calls for a general ban on commercial short -term rental in residential areas within the belt. Outside the belt, this should only be allowed to a very limited extent.

In order to emphasize these concerns, Reiter appeals to the SPÖ and the NEOS to include an Airbnb ban on the upcoming government program. "We have to secure living space for the population and contain mass tourism," said the district leader. In this context, he calls on the population to report suspicious key boxes in public space. He announces that he would consistently remove all illegally attached boxes to improve the living situation in the city center.

Short -term rentals in Europe

The topic of short -term rentals is not only in Vienna, but in the entire EU of burning interest. According to reports of the Federal Ministry of Economics Almost a quarter of accommodation in Europe is now organized via such platforms. Many travelers prefer to stay in private apartments in the city center rather than in traditional hotel rooms. While this offers hosts a welcome source of income and supports the local economy, it also has a fatal impact on the availability of affordable housing for locals.

In order to counteract this problem, many cities are in the process of regulating short -term rentals. These measures aim to combat the lack of housing and ensure that the needs of the local population are taken into account. In May 2024, a new regulation comes into force to create a digital infrastructure for short -term rentals. Among other things, this will include a registration process for hosts and accommodations.

For Vienna, the situation could certainly bring a change as a result of the EU regulations. The Federal Government is asked to take measures in order to secure living space supply and at the same time to shape the legal framework for short -term rentals.