EU moves to curb tourist rentals as pressure builds on Italy's cities

The European Union is set to lay out rules helping European cities to clamp down on short-term rentals such as Airbnb in a bid to tackle rising house prices, according to plans seen by AFP on Friday. The initiative, reported by The Local Italy, responds to growing pressure across the bloc from residents priced out of their own neighbourhoods by the explosion of holiday lets.

For Italy, the stakes are particularly high. Venice, Florence and Rome have become global symbols of overtourism, with short-term rental platforms blamed for hollowing out residential communities and inflating rents. The EU's move signals a coordinated response to a problem that has so far been left largely to individual municipalities, many of which have struggled to enforce local rules against well-resourced platforms.