Data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services [EU Legislation in Progress]

Written by Maria Niestadt (4th edition, updated on 28.05.2024).

On 7 November 2022, the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services. The proposal contributes to the Commission’s priority of making the EU fit for the digital age. To build a future-ready economy that works for people and builds on the recent Digital Services Act, the proposal regulates online platforms that connect hosts and guests for short-term accommodation rentals.

The regulation should facilitate the registration of hosts and their short-term rental properties and reduce inconsistencies in how online platforms share data. Platforms would have to check whether hosts register their units and share data about rented nights and guests with public authorities. The regulation should also help to avoid large volumes of differing data requests imposing a heavy burden on online platforms, thereby impairing their ability to offer services across the single market. It should also increase consumer confidence in these services.

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a provisional agreement on the file on 16 November 2023. Parliament endorsed the agreed text in plenary on 29 February 2024. After the Council adopted the act, it was signed by the co-legislators and published in the Official Journal of the EU on 29 April 2024. It entered into force 20 days later. It will start applying from 20 May 2026.

Complete version

• May 2024: Data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services (4th edition)