The European Commission is preparing new measures that will give cities greater opportunities to restrict short-term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb in order to improve access to housing and curb price developments, Bloomberg News reports.

According to people familiar with the matter, the Commission will present a common methodology for identifying areas with a housing shortage and a framework for what restrictions can be considered proportionate. The aim is to give local authorities stronger legal support when regulations are challenged in court.

The proposal is expected to be presented by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in connection with her annual speech to the European Parliament in September and forms a central part of the EU's upcoming Affordable Housing Act.

The background is the growing housing crisis in Europe. According to the EU's statistical agency Eurostat, around 20 percent of the housing stock in the Union is not used as permanent residence. At the same time, a Eurobarometer survey from 2025 shows that more than half of the inhabitants of Europe's cities consider the lack of affordable housing to be an urgent problem.

An EU Commission official says the bill will help national and local authorities apply EU rules more uniformly and ensure that restrictions are proportionate to the housing problems.

Airbnb welcomes fact-based regulation, but warns against overly restrictive regulations.

”Europe’s housing crisis requires structural solutions and we support an evidence-based and targeted approach,” an Airbnb spokesperson said, adding that blanket restrictions in cities like Barcelona and Amsterdam have not improved the housing situation.

The chair of the European Parliament's special committee on the housing crisis, Irene Tinagli, believes that the issue has significantly greater economic consequences than many realize.

”It also affects future competitiveness because it affects labor mobility, skills supply and demographics,” she said.

Source: DI-tt