On Thursday 11 July, the European Commission announced the successful conclusion of negotiations with the Airbnb hosting platform, which now posts more transparent prices on its website and complies with EU consumer protection law (see EUROPE 12063/13).
This regularisation comes one year after the coordinated action brought on 16 July 2018 by the European Commission. As a result, Airbnb committed itself to fully comply with EU legislation by the end of 2018 (see EUROPE 12100/4).
The Commissioner for Justice and Consumers, Vera Jourovà, said she was "very satisfied that Airbnb stood ready to cooperate", thus avoiding possible sanctions. For these summer holidays, "Europeans will simply get what they see", she said.
The Airbnb website now adequately presents the additional costs on the first page and distinguishes between offers from professionals and private individuals.
The platform was also forced to change its terms of service to comply with European consumer law. Users will be able to easily bring a case against Airbnb in their country of residence or sue their host in case of damage. A link to the Online Dispute Resolution platform is also made available.
Finally, Airbnb is no longer allowed to unilaterally modify its terms and conditions without the consent of its users or to cancel a reservation without justification. Content management and refund processes for users are also improved. (Original version in French by Martin Molko – intern)