The city of Brussels feels strengthened in its fight against ‘illegal Airbnbs’, now that a court has ruled that it is not going against European regulations. De Standaard wrote this on Thursday.
In its fight against professional Airbnb hosts, the city of Brussels is not violating European guidelines. The court ruled this at first instance, after five major Airbnb providers in the capital filed a case. The rental companies argued that Brussels accommodation legislation (an ordinance from 2014) would conflict with European internal market rules. But the court does not follow that reasoning, although an appeal is still possible.
Certificates
According to the ordinance, anyone who wants to offer an Airbnb or other tourist accommodation in the capital must register with the Region. Various documents are required, such as an extract from the criminal record or a fire safety certificate, but also a certificate of conformity for urban planning. And the latter appears to be a stumbling block for professional providers: buildings intended as homes cannot simply be repurposed for the operation of tourist accommodations, according to the 2001 regional zoning plan. That is why they do not receive a certificate of conformity and cannot register. .
Anaïs Maes (Vooruit), councilor for Urban Planning in the city of Brussels, is satisfied with the verdict. “In this way, they further exacerbate the housing shortage and the affordability of housing in Brussels,” she says. “The center of Brussels should not become a sterile environment where people do not live. We absolutely want to prevent our capital from following the same path as Amsterdam.”
This article is originally published on bruzz.be
