The Latest Cities to Impose Restrictions on Airbnb Properties

Despite the growing popularity of home-sharing sites, especially Airbnb, cities around the world have cracked down on what constitutes an Airbnb-qualified property and what regulations owners must crawl their way through in order to rent out their spaces. The latest crop of cities to impose such restrictions are outlined below, and travelers to or hosts in these cities should take the following into consideration before booking or listing a property.

New York City

Residents of the Big Apple who rent out their private spaces for fewer than 30 days can be fined as much as $7,500, as the practice is illegal according to New York City law.

Barcelona, Spain

Since 2014, Airbnb has been heavily regulated in the Catalonian capital, having faced fines in both 2014 and 2015 for not registering some of its properties with the Catalonia Tourism Registry, a local law for all vacation rentals. The city now has more than 100 investigators searching for illegal rentals throughout Barcelona and the outskirts.

Paris, France

With more than 55,000 listings, it’s difficult for authorities to stay on top of Airbnb hosts regarding rental laws. As such, local officials perform random raids to try to catch illegal rentals.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Hosts in the popular Icelandic capital city can legally rent out their homes for up to 90 days each year, after which they need to apply for a hospitality license. But all owners must register their properties if they want to rent them out at all, the process of which includes health and safety inspections.