EU moves to help cities curb tourist rentals as Venice strains

The European Union is set to lay out rules helping European cities 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 Local Italy reported. The proposed framework would give municipal authorities new tools to regulate the explosive growth of holiday lets that have transformed residential neighbourhoods across the continent's most visited cities.

For Italy, the measure arrives as the country grapples with the dual pressures of record tourism and a housing affordability crisis that has pushed residents out of historic city centres. Venice, in particular, has become a symbol of the tension between the visitor economy and the right to housing, with the city's population declining steadily as apartments are converted into short-term holiday accommodation.