SP wants to regulate Airbnb throughout Switzerland

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The people of Lucerne take Airbnb by the curb. Last Sunday, voters in the capital of the canton severely limited the influence of the platform on the housing sector. At the polls, 64 percent said yes to the SP initiative “Rental duration restrictions for short stays”. In the future, apartments on platforms such as Airbnb may not be rented out for more than 90 days per year.

The fact that Switzerland has been talking about the increasing housing shortage for months has given the initiative a boost. “But the issue has been on people’s stomachs for a long time,” said David Roth (37), chairman of the SP Canton of Lucerne. At the end of 2018, his party conducted a survey in the city districts. “Even then, many described Airbnb as disruptive.” The phenomenon is very visible, says Roth. “There are now entire streets with company apartments. And in the core city we have conference visitors and tourists. We need more living space for the local population.”

The housing problem is acute

The cantons of Geneva and Vaud and the city of Bern already have restrictions for short-term tenants. Now the SP wants to work in Basel and Zurich. The Lucerne Airbnb model is also being introduced on the Rhine and the Limmat. In Zurich alone, several thousand apartments are rented commercially via Airbnb or as corporate apartments.

“Clear rules are finally needed,” says Oliver Heimgartner (27), chairman of the SP City of Zurich. “The housing problem is so acute that we can no longer stand by and watch real estate companies continue to heat up the price spiral with such commercial rentals.” It is still unclear whether the Zurich SP will launch a citizens’ initiative or whether they will try to take a step in the city council.

What measures are taken against providers?

The Social Democrats are also stepping up in the Federal Republic of Bern on the issue: SP National Councilor Prisca Birrer-Heimo (64) submitted an interpellation this week. She calls for framework conditions for the whole of Switzerland that enable the municipalities to use Airbnb and Co. to be regulated according to local needs.

This includes the federal government collecting data on the distribution of short-term rents and informing the public, Birrer-Heimo said. “A lot of data relevant to cantons and municipalities is missing today.” For example, platforms would not provide information about how long an apartment was rented out. “And they don’t mark apartments, which makes them difficult to identify. In addition, apartments are offered on multiple platforms or Airbnb providers turn them into fake hotels.”

The federal government should stop doing that now if it is up to the SP. Birrer-Heimo wants to know from the state government how to act against providers and platforms that do not comply with municipal or cantonal rules.

This is the right way, says David Roth from Lucerne. “This way the communities are not lumped together, but they are still effectively supported.”

Source:Blick