- Title: French hoteliers fume as Airbnb wins battle over EU regulations
- Date: 19th December 2019
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (FILE - NOVEMBER 19, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF REAL ESTATE ADVERTISING FOR APARTMENT COSTING 4.050.000 EUROS PARIS, FRANCE (FILE - SEPTEMBER 17, 2019) (REUTERS) HOTEL NEAR PARIS' CHAMPS-ELYSEES FIVE-STAR SIGN FOR HOTEL EXTERIOR OF HOTEL
- Embargoed: 2nd January 2020 17:01
- Keywords: Airbnb Paris CJEU hotels online platform property management real estate tourism
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / PARIS, FRANCE / LUXEMBOURG, LUXEMBOURG / INTERNET
- City: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / PARIS, FRANCE / LUXEMBOURG, LUXEMBOURG / INTERNET
- Country: France
- Topics: Company News Markets,Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA002BAN7GW7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: France's 'AHTOP' tourism association urged the French government to take action after U.S. home sharing site Airbnb won its battle to remain exempt from onerous European property regulations.
The French association's call to seek changes in competition rules in EU E-commerce followed a decision from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to rule that Airbnb was an online platform and not a property agent.
AHTOP's vice-president Jean-Bernard Falco told Reuters that hoteliers, estate agents and Airbnb are "not playing the game by the same rules".
"How many estate agencies are there today which are constrained by charges, rights, obligations placed on them, and that AirBnB hasn't respected?", he added, urging France to take action on the ruling.
Falco urged France to change a 1970 law, called the Hoguet law, which concerns regulations around renting and sub-letting. Airbnb circumvents this law by considering itself a publisher of renting adverts, not a rental agency itself.
AHTOP said the EU "court's decision demonstrates it is urgent to totally reshuffle this directive." The association also filed a complaint against Airbnb.
The EU court had also ruled that France was at fault for not notifying the European Commission of the requirement for Airbnb to hold an estate agent professional license.
Airbnb competes with hotel companies such as Accor, Intercontinental Hotels and Marriott.
(Production: Martin Esposito, Michaela Cabrera, Kathryn Carlson) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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