- Title: Budapest district votes on banning short-term rental apartments
- Date: 5th September 2024
- Summary: VARIOUS OF MAYOR OF BUDAPEST'S SIXTH DISTRICT, TAMAS SOPRONI, TALKING TO CAMPAIGNERS AGAINST A BAN LEAFLET ON REFERENDUM IN HAND BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (SEPTEMBER 3, 2024) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Hungarian) MAYOR OF BUDAPEST'S SIXTH DISTRICT, TAMAS SOPRONI, SAYING: "You cannot sit idle and wait for something to just happen. More and more flats are becoming 'airbnbs', it’s true f
- Embargoed: 19th September 2024 14:16
- Keywords: Airbnb Budapest problems with tourism rise in tourism short-term rental apartments tourist industry
- Location: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
- City: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
- Country: Hungary
- Topics: Europe,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA003176005092024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A central Budapest district is holding a two-week referendum on a possible ban on short-term rentals, which would be the first of its kind in one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations.
Eurostat figures show almost 719 million guest nights spent in the European Union were booked via online platforms Airbnb, Booking, Expedia Group and Tripadvisor last year, with Paris leading EU capitals with over 19 million guest nights.
Within central Europe, Budapest was the most popular for short-term stays with 6.7 million guest nights, ahead of Vienna, Prague, Warsaw, Krakow and others.
Tamas Soproni, the mayor of the Budapest district staging the vote that began on Monday (September 2) and ends on Sept. 15, says the city's popularity has justified asking locals about the impact of short-term stays on housing affordability and quality of life.
"You cannot sit idle and just wait for something to happen," said Soproni, the mayor of Budapest's scenic sixth district, saying more and more properties in the area were being offered for short-term stays.
Managers and owners of apartments catering for tourists are unhappy about the vote over the proposed ban - which, if adopted, would start from the beginning of 2026 - with some actively campaigning against it.
There are also worries about the effect on local businesses catering largely to foreign tourists. "I would be very very sorry if this was cut back completely", said Abel Zsendovits, the owner of one of Budapest's 'ruin bars' popular with visitors.
Real estate website ingatlan.com said a ban in the sixth district, where apartment prices are 22% above the Budapest average, could temporarily curb long-term rental prices.
Local residents were mixed on the proposal. Gabor Siklosi said he favoured more restrictions but not an outright ban, while another resident Matild said short-term rentals were causing problems.
"People going out and about have no interest in keeping quiet, order or cleanliness", she said.
Meanwhile, two newly-arrived British tourists - who had booked an apartment - said they sympathised with locals who were finding it difficult to afford to live in the district.
"It's an issue we're having similarly in the UK at the moment, it's just access to affordable housing", said Laura Jenkinson, who was visiting Budapest from Liverpool with her partner.
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