EU short-term rental rules could reshape Rome's housing market

The European Union is set to lay out rules helping European cities to curb short-term rentals such as Airbnb in a bid to tackle rising house prices, according to plans seen by AFP and reported by The Local Italy on Saturday. The proposed framework would give municipalities greater powers to regulate the booming holiday-let sector, which has been blamed for squeezing out long-term residents in tourist-heavy capitals.

For Rome, the timing is significant. The city has struggled for years to balance its status as one of the world's most-visited destinations with the needs of its resident population, and the influx of tourists has been a recurring theme in international coverage of the capital's administration. The EU initiative arrives as the city continues to prepare for the Jubilee, a Catholic holy year expected to draw millions of additional pilgrims, which foreign outlets have noted will put further strain on housing and infrastructure.