Short-term rental

Short-term rentals (STR) are furnished lodging rented for short periods of time. They can be used as alternatives to hotels for vacation rentals and housing during relocation. They are usually reserved via online marketplaces such as Airbnb and Booking.com.

Regulations have been imposed on short-term rental platforms after proponents argued that short-term rental has reduced affordable housing and contributed to the increase of long-term rental prices due to changes in housing supply and demand; short-term rentals can be more lucrative than long-term rentals for landlords and also attract investors who bid up housing prices. Supporters of short-term rentals argue that the impact on housing prices has been minimal and that the way to increase affordable housing is to increase the housing supply. Examples include Lisbon, where a moratorium on short-term rentals did not reduce housing costs; it only increased hotel prices.

In rare cases, landlords have been accused of illegally evicting tenants to convert properties into short-term rentals to obtain higher rents.

The hotel industry has lobbied for additional regulations on short-term rentals, which compete with hotels. Short-term rental platforms also use lobbying to promote their interests.

In addition to government-imposed restrictions, many homeowner associations also limit short-term rentals. Neighborhood community groups have voiced concern that short-term residents can cause issues with congestion, noise, and safety.

Regulation of short-term rentals can include requirements for hosts to have business licenses, payment of hotel taxes, limitations on the number of days that a space is rented, requirements for hosts to occupy the space, and compliance with building, city and zoning standards.