Brussels considers that local accommodation is part of the problem in cities facing housing pressure, such as Lisbon. The European Commission understands that these platforms contribute to housing shortages and to rising prices in urban centers.
The new Affordable Housing Law establishes a common framework to identify areas under housing pressure. This legislation defines the conditions that must be met before adopting restrictions on local accommodation.
The law aims to create uniform rules that allow municipalities to limit or regulate the operation of short-term rental platforms, such as Airbnb, in areas where the housing market is particularly strained.
This position from Brussels comes in the context of a broader debate on the housing crisis in European capitals, where the growth of tourism and local accommodation has been pointed out as one of the factors contributing to residents' difficulty in accessing housing.
