EU plans tourist rental clampdown as Italian cities feel strain

The European Union is set to lay out rules helping European cities curb short-term rentals such as Airbnb in a bid to tackle rising house prices, according to plans seen by AFP on Friday. The proposal, reported by The Local Italy, would give local authorities new tools to regulate the booming holiday-let market that has reshaped urban centres across the continent.

The move comes as pressure mounts on Italian cities where short-term lets have accelerated a housing crisis. In Turin, the regional capital of Piemonte, and in Alpine towns such as Bardonecchia and Limone Piemonte, the spread of tourist apartments has coincided with a shortage of affordable housing for residents and seasonal workers.

EU officials have not yet published the full text of the proposed rules. But the reported plan signals a shift in Brussels toward supporting municipal intervention in housing markets, a policy arena long left to national and local governments.