Regulation and Legal Constraints in Response to “Airbnb, Go Home!” Protests in the European Union

In the summer of 2024, people in some member states of the European Union (EU) took to the streets to protest against overtourism. They demanded better living conditions and lower housing rents. They argued that rents were rising as landlords switched from long-term to more profitable short-term tourist rentals via Airbnb and similar digital platforms. This chapter looks at this issue through the lens of legal constraints of the EU law and examines central and local governments’ policy options with regard to the EU’s Directive (2006/123/EC) on services in the internal market. The research looks at recent measures enforced or announced in Italy, Spain, and Greece, where tourism is a vital part of the economy. By taking into account relevant economic and social data and the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the finding is that there are some legal constraints with regard to what authorities can do. In addition, there are certain trade-offs to be considered in order to balance planned measures against short-term rentals so as not to squeeze small businesses and consumers too hard. That is particularly relevant in Greece, where the population is still recovering from a decade of economic contraction due to the financial and sovereign debt crisis.