EU will help cities curb Airbnb-style short-term lets

Ursula von der Leyen to announce measure as Brussels aims to tackle the problem of housing affordability and supply

A protester with an anti-Airbnb placard during a demonstration against overtourism and house prices in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on July 26. Picture: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

The European Union is preparing measures that will help cities clamp down on short-term rental operators such as Airbnb, as Brussels aims to tackle the problem of housing affordability and supply.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, will propose a common methodology that can be used across the bloc to identify areas under housing stress and a process to determine which measures could be considered proportionate, according to people familiar with the matter. The move is effectively an effort to give local authorities the legal shield to withstand court challenges, the people said.