The number of landlords and overnight stays booked via rental platform Airbnb has increased over the past two years, following the impact of the corona period.
“The increase is especially noticeable in Flanders, but also in Wallonia,” says Emmanuel Marill, director for Europe at Airbnb, without providing more precise information. ‘There are less encouraging signs in Brussels, due to the heavier administration that is coming’ due to plans by the Brussels government for a revision of the rules surrounding tourist accommodations.
Marill responds to the criticism that Airbnb would raise prices on the traditional rental market and cause problems in city centers based on a study conducted in France by PwC.
‘That study shows that 92 percent of the people in the tourist accommodation rental market are private individuals. (…) There is a delusion of the professional multi-renter on Airbnb. There are professionals with activities on Airbnb, but this is rare. The PwC study also confirms that this tourist activity has only a minor impact on the housing crisis in France. I think that conclusion applies to many countries in Europe,” he said.
Marill also indicates that Airbnb works well with ‘Flanders and Wallonia, where the regulations are proportionate’. ‘The landlord must be able to earn money, but also knows that there are controls to prevent abuse. It is a shame that this is not possible in Brussels,” said Marill, who says he has not spoken to the Brussels government for a “long time”.
The rental platform also presented several novelties on its website for tenants and its app for landlords during a press conference on Tuesday.
