Government gets tough on Airbnb, country-wide restrictions in preparation
The announcement was made on the occasion of the first autumn meeting of the Tourism Advisory Board, an advisory and consultative body to the Ministry of National Economy on issues affecting the tourism sector, which was held on 18 September. More than 30 tourism professional organisations are represented, including the Balaton Development Council, the Hungarian Spa Association, the Association of Hungarian Hotels and Restaurants, the Tokaj Wine Region Development Council and the Association of Hungarian Travel Agencies.
In addition to the strong results of the Hungarian tourism season so far, the Board also reviewed the outcome of the decisive referendum on the ban of Airbnb-type accommodation in the 6th district of Budapest (Terézváros). According to the statement, Minister of National Economy Márton Nagy said that Airbnb is not a tourism issue, but a housing issue, and the government has been examining the possibilities of changing the regulation accordingly, as there are nearly 26,000 housing units missing from the Hungarian real estate market. Airbnb has led to a decrease in the number of long-term rentals, which has resulted in a significant increase in rents and property prices.
The Communication stresses that the government puts the protection of the housing interests of families first and is working to reform the legislation accordingly. The minister added that the government is still awaiting Budapest Fidesz chairperson Alexandra Szentkirályi's proposal, but it is already foreseeable that stricter regulation than ever before will be introduced on short-term home rentals to protect Hungarian families.
Cover photo (for illustration purposes only): Getty Images
