A growing rift is emerging within Germany’s housing sector, with leading representatives of tenant and landlord associations issuing stark demands for stricter regulation of short-term rental platforms like Airbnb. The calls highlight a deepening crisis of housing affordability and availability, with accusations that the burgeoning short-term rental market is actively contributing to the problem.
Melanie Weber-Moritz, president of the German Tenants’ Association (Deutscher Mieterbund), has voiced urgent concerns about the opacity and impact of the sector. She argues that the rapid increase in Airbnb listings is frequently linked to the reduction of furnished rental apartments available for long-term tenants. Weber-Moritz has specifically urged the German government to fully implement EU guidelines on data collection and registration for short-term rentals and to rigorously pursue proposals from the Federal Council aimed at limiting short-term rentals to six months and prohibiting “chain contracts” – practices reportedly used to circumvent regulations.
A blanket prohibition on the repurposing of residential space for short-term rentals is also being demanded, with Weber-Moritz emphasizing that municipalities must be empowered to enforce such measures. She further criticized the exploitation of loopholes that allow short-term rentals to bypass existing rent control measures, exacerbating the disparity between housing availability and cost.
Kai Warnecke, president of the Confederation of German Real Estate Associations (“Haus und Grund”), echoed these sentiments, advocating for a dedicated “Lex Airbnb” – a specific legal framework dedicated to regulating the short-term rental market. Warnecke highlighted the increasingly common practice of tenants remaining in existing rental agreements while illegally subletting properties for short-term profit, effectively removing desperately needed housing from the long-term rental market, particularly in high-demand areas.
While Warnecke acknowledged the need for intervention on the short-term rental sector, he also voiced criticism of broad regulatory overreach as a contributing factor to Europe’s broader housing market struggles. He urged a renewed focus on construction initiatives to alleviate supply shortages, a sentiment that underscores the complex and multifaceted nature of the housing affordability crisis. The diverging perspectives on the root causes of the problem-the detrimental effects of short-term rentals versus excessive regulation-are likely to fuel a contentious debate as policymakers grapple with the challenge of balancing tourism revenues with the fundamental right to accessible and affordable housing.