Airbnb wins fight to remain exempt from European property rules
Airbnb Office
UShome-sharing siteAirbnbon Thursday won its battle toremainexemptfromonerousEuropeanpropertyregulations, as the EU's top court ruled it was an online platform and not apropertyagent.
The case came before the Court of Justice of theEuropeanUnion (CJEU) following a complaint by French tourism association AHTOP.
The issue underlines the quandary regulators face in dealing with new online services venturing into traditional businesses, but not subjected to the samerules.
ForAirbnb, the French case is significant as the International Olympic Committee has agreed to promote the company for accommodation during the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Judges in essence accepted the company's arguments that it is an online platform and not apropertyagent.
"The nature of the links between the intermediation service and the provision of accommodation did not justify departingfromthe classification of that intermediation service as an 'information society service'," the CJEU said.
The court also faulted France for not notifying theEuropeanCommission, the EU executive, of the requirement forAirbnbto hold an estate agent's professional licence.
Airbnbwelcomed the judgment.
"We want to be good partners to everyone and already we have worked with more than 500 governments to help hosts share their homes, follow therulesand pay tax," it said in a statement.
Airbnbhas in recent years dueled with hoteliers and authorities in citiesfromNew York to Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris, accused of worsening housing shortages and pushing out lower income residents.
The case is C-390/18AirbnbIreland.