Vienna is in the Airbnb crisis: New rules, old worries!

Vienna is in the Airbnb crisis: New rules, old worries!

In the Danube metropolis of Vienna, a lot has happened in the world of short-term rentals since the introduction of the amendment to the building regulations on July 1, 2024. This amendment brings comprehensive changes: Commercial use of Airbnb is now prohibited in residential zones, while in non-residential zones there is a limit of 90 days per year. However, the trend towards short-term rentals remains, and renting out your own home privately remains legally unproblematic in Vienna. This is also reflected in the fact that Airbnb continues to cooperate with the city and is actively communicating with hosts to provide clarity about the new regulations, as news.at reports.

What is particularly striking is that local authorities in Vienna, as well as in other European cities such as Amsterdam and Barcelona, ​​are taking restrictive measures to combat the housing crisis. While rents have risen in these cities, Airbnb argues that it is not them, but persistent vacancy among the population that is a fundamental problem. Currently, 13.3 percent of apartments in Austria are unused, which gives the platform a little support in public perception. The listings of 'entire accommodation' on Airbnb only make up 0.7 percent of the total 4.9 million residential units in Austria, which corresponds to around 34,400 units.

The state of affairs in Vienna

The numbers speak for themselves: In Vienna, the Airbnb share is 1.4 percent, which is twice as high as the Austrian average. In 2024, short-term rentals via Airbnb counted almost 2 million guest arrivals in Austria - an indicator of the popularity of this type of accommodation. In comparison, 46.7 million guests stayed in local hotels and guesthouses in the same year. This high demand shows how important short-term rentals are for Vienna's tourism sector and how many people benefit from this income. However, over 70 percent of hosts in Austria only rented out an entire accommodation last year, which makes it clear that the aim is often just to generate additional income.

Despite the current upheaval of circumstances, Airbnb's Ellen Madeker remains optimistic. In her role as Head of Public Policy for DACH and CEE, she emphasizes the need for clear and transparent regulations. She is convinced that new, proportionate rules can be beneficial for both the hosts and the city. At the same time, Airbnb would like to work closely with the City of Vienna to have a positive influence on the new building regulations and the protection of living space, reports tuwien.at.

The perspective of the hosts

Especially in times of rising living costs, home sharing is becoming more important for many hosts. A survey from 2022 shows: 39 percent of providers use the income from renting to cover their daily expenses. More than two fifths even rely on this additional income. This highlights the personal connection between host and guest and shows the importance of short-term rentals as a social buffer.

The Vienna city government expects the new European regulations to provide more transparency, while Airbnb hopes that the existing rules could be relaxed based on new data. The discussion about regulated short-term rentals remains exciting and will offer a lot of room for development in the coming months, as airbnb.com also states.