Europe's Top Court says Airbnb is a website not a Property Agent & ABB's Open Letter

[Helen427]

We look forward with interest to the European Court of Justice decision been published in full.

It's interesting that Property Legislation has not updated to include website platforms.

Airbnb's Open letter to European Governments

https://press.airbnb.com/en-uk/open-letter-to-european-governments/

A European Court of Justice advisor just sided with Airbnb - Europe's top Court says that Airbnb is a website not a Property Agent

https://qz.com/1609623/a-european-court-of-justice-advisor-just-sided-with-airbnb/

European Cities turn to Eu for help in battle against Airbnb

https://skift.com/2019/06/20/european-cities-turn-to-eu-for-help-in-battle-against-airbnb/

Maciej Szpunar who heard and has had an input in this is in here where we would reasonably expect the decision to be released in the next month.

https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/jcms/Jo2_7026/en/

[Emiel1]

@Helen427

Thanks for sharing.

Complaining cities, who are to lazy and stupid to handle a new economy theirself, crying to big brother EU with big tears. Any simple soul can see Airbnb is not a Property Agent, so they are wasting their time.

Wake up, please  !

[Helen427]

It's a pleasure @Emiel1 

With a European background myself, I try follow European Laws & discussions as it's important we discuss these things with  & exercise common sense!

Unfortunately local Councils have relied to heavily on flawed research practices.

It's not only 'tourists" who use Airbnb, it's locals who have every right to have a roof over their heads when in another location for whatever reason & of course locals who can use whatever medium they wish to solve their accommodation requirements.

Incidentally, have these "researchers" & local councils ever done factual research how many of us have hosted the "hidden homeless" in our homes?

I've never been asked, yet I know for a fact I've had those who would otherwise be sleeping in their cars or under the stars had my both SHORT & LONG TERM option RENTAL not been listed on Airbnb!

It's also staggering they so oft say that homes that should be available for LONG term rentals when it's a known fact that rental properties in general through Property Management companies & with a  Residential Tenancies tend to be for a minimum of 3, 6 or 12 months as is the same with those listed on ABB & other online platforms.

As one of my lovely Australian Guests said, it's the modern version of "Billeting"  like many of us did when younger.

All the best

[Waundell0]

Simply jealousy and greed because 2 guys come up with an idea that has become a cash cow and suddenly everyone has a problem with it.  If politicians weren't so busy being corrupt they could actually do their cities some service by also being creative.  

[Helen427]

Update on this interesting Topic - a can of worms awaits opening folks, get out those fishing rods and bait!!

Airbnb is not an estate agent - EU Court Rules

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50851419

[Susan17]

If anyone thinks this is actually a good thing, they're very, very mistaken. This ruling - which unfortunately was inevitable because the French authorities screwed up royally, and didn't fulfill their obligations or follow the correct procedures when the EU directive was being prepared - is far from something to celebrate. It basically absolves Airbnb from having to follow the rules and regulations that apply to every other entity in the property arena, and allows the $38 billion global corporation free reign to carry on grossly over-saturating towns and cities with countless thousands of unmonitored, troublesome listings from professional and commercial operators, while forcing its core host community to operate under ever-increasingly abusive and exploitative terms and conditions.

Let's look at this logically - how in the name of god can a company that only last December bought a French real estate/property management company called Luckey Homes: partners with Century 21 in Paris to offer "Airbnb-friendly" leases (with the host having to hand over up to 30% of their earnings to the landlord and "management company" in exchange for being permitted to operate),; is currently building its own hotel,; has Airbnb-branded high-rise complexes operating in a growing number of cities;  led a $160 million funding round in Lyric, one of the biggest mega-hosts on its own platform:; whose latest publicly recommended  "Pro Co-Host Partner" - of only 5 worldwide - is an actual estate agent (Hello Ted in Cardiff - essentially a branch of Moginie James estate agents): and at least one of whose other 4 "Pro Co-Host Partners" is quietly linked to one of the biggest national chains of estate agents in the UK (who were stupidly displaying the estate agent's flagship office as their own address on their website last year - only for a couple of days before someone realised the c*ck-up, and rapidly changed it. I still have the screenshot though), possibly be classed as merely an "information services provider", rather than a  full-blown major player in the property game?? It's preposterous. And mind-blowingly dishonest.

Make no mistake - this ruling is an absolute disaster, and a death knell for homesharers and small, independent hosts, not only in the EU, but the whole world over.