Airbnb uncovered: This city is now cracking down on illegal vacation rentals

Vacations in the old town - a dream for many tourists. For tenants in Erfurt, however, this dream is turning into a nightmare. While more and more apartments in prime locations are being rented out to holidaymakers, living space for locals is becoming scarce. Now the city has had enough: Erfurt is launching a targeted offensive against illegal Airbnb offers - and is getting serious.

500 offers, but hardly any permits: The city of Erfurt mobilizes

One click on Airbnb shows: More than 500 apartments are offered for short-term rent in Erfurt - many of them in sought-after locations around Domplatz and Krämerbrücke. The prices? Between 80 and 150 euros per night. What is convenient for tourists is increasingly becoming a problem for the city, as many of these apartments are not licensed.

"We need more permanent living space," emphasizes Lars Bredemeier, Erfurt's alderman for urban development. According to forecasts, up to 6,900 new apartments need to be built in the next 15 years - but the boom in vacation rentals is torpedoing this goal. Because what is urgently needed as rental accommodation often ends up with holidaymakers on a daily basis.

200 illegal vacation apartments in sight - city relies on checks and tips

The city already has 200 vacation apartments on its watch list. Specific proceedings are underway in 60 cases. The city is using its own research on booking portals as well as information from the public. Anyone who does not have a permit and rents out anyway risks receiving a letter from the authorities - and probably a fine.

If you register properly, pay taxes and have an official permit, you can welcome your vacation guests with peace of mind. However, many providers are apparently trying to keep the whole thing under the radar - and this is now becoming a risk.

The fight against misappropriation - not just a problem in Erfurt

Erfurt is not alone. Cities such as Hanover and Leipzig have also already passed bylaws against the so-called misappropriation of living space. The reason: the tight situation on the housing market. When apartments that could actually be rented out are instead given to tourists on a daily basis, this massively exacerbates the rental price situation.

Christian Fothe from Erfurt Tourismus und Marketing GmbH puts it in a nutshell: "If fewer people live in the old town, it becomes a mere backdrop." After all, tourism only works if the local life is right - otherwise the mood changes.

Anyone who withdraws living space from the market is not acting cleverly - but selfishly

Airbnb & Co. are not the problem - illegal use is. Anyone who secretly turns living space into a source of profit because tourism is going well is jeopardizing the social cohesion of entire districts. If old towns are nothing more than selfie backdrops, no one need be surprised if locals treat tourists with suspicion rather than hospitality.

Anyone who wants to rent out vacation apartments should do so - but transparently, legally and responsibly. On the other hand, those who block living space with a greed for quick returns should not be surprised if the law comes calling at some point.