Locals living in Hungary’s Terézváros neighbourhood, located in the country’s capital, will soon vote in a referendum asking if short-term rental company Airbnb should be banned from operating in the precinct.
Roughly 7% of dwellings in the popular party neighbourhood, equating to 2,200 properties, are currently occupied as private accommodation.
Critics say the short-term accommodation options benefits the local economy but also drives up property prices.
Sixth district mayor Tamas Soproni said there is no referendum threshold for the proposal to be supported, but a few thousand people need to vote for the idea to signal to local government that it needs to get serious on the issue.
“Unfortunately, the reason why we ask this question is because we have no other legislative option. There is only so much that municipalities can do,” he said.
One local says he doesn’t think a “blanket ban” is the right approach, but the industry should be regulated. He acknowledges, however, that this in itself could cause headaches.
“With this sort of regulation the source of some problems remain,” he told Euronews.
The move comes off the back of other European cities, such as Barcelona in Spain, capping the number of short-term rentals being offered or expressing desire to slash the services outright.
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