Hotels fight back against private rentals

[Hum]

Hotels in Vienna are fighting back against the trend of private holiday rentals by suggesting that a law should be introduced which would forbid somebody to rent an apartment to holidaymakers in which he is not registered as living.

The Vienna Hotel Association have suggested this stricter regulation as a way to tackle those who buy apartments so they can rent them to tourists on websites such as Airbnb, whilst not paying any taxes to the city nor having the same obligations as hotel owners.

In Vienna, there are currently around 1,000 people offering private holiday rentals, a number that is constantly growing. Hotel owners say their business is suffering as a result and are demanding tougher guidelines for private renters.

One of the largest community marketplaces on the internet is Airbnb, where somebody can find accommodation in more than 34,000 cities, including more than 600 castles. The prices range from a few euros per night up to 800 Euros, but they never include food or maintenance.

According to Airbnb, the offers of accommodation increased by 75 percent last year and the number of users of the service increased by 250 percent.

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[FloatingFatMan]

So, just introduce the same regulations for private renters as hotels have to deal with.

[Hum]

As long as the rentals are clean and reasonably safe, people should be free to do business.

 

Not everyone can afford the pricey hotels.

 

And this should only be good for the local economy -- attracting tourists who might otherwise stay home.

[DocM]

Sounds like a war by big hotels on Bed & Breakfasts. IMO, screw 'em (the hotels.)

We have a BIG Bed & Breakfast industry, usually large multi-bedroom homes converted to short stay inns with home cooked meals etc. The ONLY way to go if you plan ahead, especially for weekend getaways.

The Hexagon House in Pentater, MI is cool....