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I think that the central concern is the high level of informal and unregistered accommodation... Recently whilst looking for accommodation for someone I visited an apartment to rent looking onto the Plaza Obradoiro. It had two bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen and one bathroom. 10 beds had been crammed into this "cash only please" vacation accommodation with not a smoke detector or fire extinguisher in sight.
More power to the authorities trying to stamp out unsafe rip off accommodation.
Another issue that has arisen with Airbnb, is that property owners can make more money by renting out on a nightly or weekly basis, rather than to long term tenants, and is causing an increase in rents for locals.
I saw this sign in Barcelona a couple of years ago
View attachment 32017
On the other hand some are being pushed into listing with AirBnB.AirBnB is getting pushed back in a number of places
As @trecile says, there's strong movement against AirBnB in many cities. Investors push real estate values up because they can earn so much from constant short term rents. Governments of cities like Barcelona which are becoming overrun by mass tourism are very concerned about neighbourhoods maybe becoming dormitory areas and their character evaporating as locals are squeezed out of their homes. There's a push here in Sydney against AirBnB for this reason. Investors love the idea, many locals hate it. Other cities I've read about which are pushing back are Paris and New York. I think the strategy is to pass local laws which increase the shortest allowable rental period. I've also read that some investors currently buy large numbers of properties and run de facto hotels with AirBNB managing and marketing rentals. The original idea might have been that homeowners were able to make a few extra bucks by renting out a spare room or a small attached apartment. I stayed in Madrid (AirBnB again) for a few days last year and the very nice young owner of the tiny apartment moved out while I was there - I got the feeling that he was going to stay at his girlfriend's place, he walked out after welcoming me, carrying a few plastic bags. I stayed in a small apartment in Paris last year - I got a very good deal and a big discount for a month's stay via AirBnB. The owner lived in San Francisco, but he obviously wasn't wealthy. Berlin has local laws which protect renters and the character of key inner city areas. I don't think AirBnB has got much of a foothold there.A friend of mine has asked me whether I've heard anything about a new law in Galicia that will prohibit (or regulate) short term apartment (less than one month) vacation rentals. I did a bit of googling and saw that this is indeed a topic that the Xunta is going to consider, but I can't find any information on whether anything has passed, or even whether any specific bill has been introduced.
http://www.laopinioncoruna.es/galicia/2016/09/16/decreto-regula-alquiler-pisos-turistas/1107081.html
Anyone know anything about this? Thanks, buen camino, Laurie
We have the same problem in Lisbon and Porto...Another issue that has arisen with Airbnb, is that property owners can make more money by renting out on a nightly or weekly basis, rather than to long term tenants, and is causing an increase in rents for locals.
I saw this sign in Barcelona a couple of years ago
View attachment 32017
Another problem I've seen in Lisbon is that because of the fact that you can get a residential visa in Portugal if you spend 500,000 € on an apartment, parts of Lisbon are filled with building that are essentially unoccupied and whose construction cost was a few céntimos over the 500,000 mark. The owners apparently have no intention to ever even go to Lisbon, they are just happy with their EU visa. A friend of mine figured out a way to contact one of the owners and is now living in a fancy new apartment at a very low rent, but it's kind of like living in a ghost town. And it's true that many owners don't want to rent, they just want their 500,000 investment to be closed up.We have the same problem in Lisbon and Porto...
It's starting to get impossible for the average portuguese person to live... in Portugal.
For exemple, some owners are leaving the "college students" market and going to the AirBNB and, as a consequence, the ones that continue renting to students started raising the prices to a point that is unbearable for some students.
Not long ago, it was easy to rent an average/good bedroom for 200€/250€
Now is easy to find a dump at 250€/300€...
It might no seem a big diference but keep in mind that the minimal wage in Portugal is just a little above 500€
I know many cases of students that were accepted in universities in Lisbon but were unable to find a bedroom that they could afford and had to go back to their hometowns, leaving university behind...
I love having tourists in my country but if that means that we'll have to move out of our own cities, I rather have the tourists going someplace else. (but the best option would be to find a middle ground)
News reports about misbehaving and destructive AirBnB tennants all seem the same: Tennants are maybe blacklisted, but AirBnB has to be pushed very hard by lessors to help get financial compensation for what is often vicious and extensive damage (this has happened here in Sydney http://www.smh.com.au/national/airb...urn-it-into-a-junkie-den-20160902-gr7ej9.html). Reluctance to offer redress may seem counterproductive of AirBnB, you might say. Or maybe AirBnB cares more about the broader market (i.e., money) than the "clients" they profess to represent.Aside from the economics, keep in mind that people/families who live in those buildings may not like having transients occupying some suites - with different people coming and going every day, creating security concerns.
I think that the central concern is the high level of informal and unregistered accommodation being offered to visitors to Santiago. Being unregistered means proper standards of safety and insurance cannot be regulated. In Santiago this has reached huge numbers - the popularity of Airbnb in the city has simply highlighted what everyone has known for a long time.
Recently whilst looking for accommodation for someone I visited an apartment to rent looking onto the Plaza Obradoiro. It had two bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen and one bathroom. 10 beds had been crammed into this "cash only please" vacation accommodation with not a smoke detector or fire extinguisher in sight.
More power to the authorities trying to stamp out unsafe rip off accommodation.
I think that if I understood what you meant I probably wouldn't agree.Apart from these excellent points about health & safety and rip-offs and so on, I imagine that these measures also have an eye on migrancy control in the current international security situation.
I wouldn't distract from the many more obvious and direct reasons, to introduce this remote reason.these measures also have an eye on migrancy control in the current international security situation
I wouldn't distract from the many more obvious and direct reasons, to introduce this remote reason.
I don't disagree with anything you say in this reply to my comment, and don't quite understand what is "far from it." I was just trying to say that the rules around Air B&Bs have many good reasons, and I don't think "migrancy control in the current international security situation" is one of them.Far from it ,
When in Hotels you produce passports and /or Visa
Every place that accommodates should be subject to every [ too many i know] regulation that occurs in relation to health and security to public.
I know in Australia there is a paper being prepared that all Air B&B will be subject to strict local and ATO laws.
You apply with a company name, and if required approval from Body Corps to register your place / room .
You would not want to be on a pension or any form of Gov't assistance and get caught,
I don't disagree with anything you say in this reply to my comment, and don't quite understand what is "far from it." I was just trying to say that the rules around Air B&Bs have many good reasons, and I don't think "migrancy control in the current international security situation" is one of them.
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