He said Airbnb is working well and doesn’t need more regulation unless things change for the worse.
Airbnb is working well and does not require any more regulation according to Cammy Amaira, director of sales and marketing at Tipton & Coseley Building Society.
This follows Europe’s top court, The Court of Justice of the European Union, deciding that Airbnb does not need an estate agent’s licence to work in France and is instead an “information society service”.
Amaira (pictured) said: “Airbnb is so much more established now than a few years ago.
“From our experiences with a few cases Airbnb seems to be working nicely so unless things change for the worse I’m unsure of whether we need any more regulation in that area.
“And at the end of the day it’s not a long-term thing. It’s just an ad hoc of a passenger’s property so at this stage it doesn’t need to be regulated.”
The UK Short Term Accommodation Association (STAA) welcomed the court’s ruling.
Merilee Karr, chair of the STAA, added: “We welcome the clarification by the European Court of Justice about Airbnb’s status as an Information Society Service (ISS) provider, and not a real estate agent.
“This provides a much greater degree of certainty and confidence for those of our members operating similar platforms, now that a legal precedent has been set.
“For those of our members based in the UK with Brexit ahead, these rules will apply for at least another year during the transition period contained within the Withdrawal Agreement Bill and may be longer lasting.
“For short-term rental hosts and guests, there is little direct impact.
“The sector remains regulated in the UK, but from now on it will be unlawful to be made subject to additional regulations that currently apply to real estate providers.
“The UK government maintains the ability to regulate the home-sharing sector in the years ahead and the STAA looks forward to working together with stakeholders to ensure that his happens in a balanced and proportionate way.
“The UK STAA is committed to growing this vibrant sector in a responsible and sustainable way.
“We provide our members and the general public with help and guidance on regulations.
“Our aim is to improve standards throughout the industry, and we will continue our successful work with a diversity of stakeholders including government, local authorities, councils and tourism associations.”
