Justice
Berlin Just Canceled Its Airbnb Ban
The city will formally allow vacation rentals again, but there’s a strict new set of rules—and even tougher penalties.
Berlin’s “Airbnb ban” is over.
The city’s assembly decided Thursday to overturn a law introduced in April 2016 that barred almost all landlords from letting their apartments to short-term visitors, enforced by a maximum €100,000 ($123,000) fine. Thursday’s ruling means that, starting May 1, owner-occupiers will, under certain conditions, be allowed once more to rent out their own home as much as they want, and to rent out second homes for up to 90 days a year. For a city that’s become well-known for its extremely tough laws governing vacation rentals, the new ruling might seem like a major compromise.