French lawmakers back bill to tighten Airbnb regulation

Paris: French lawmakers on Thursday backed a bill aimed at increasing the regulation of tourist accommodation such as Airbnb to combat the shortage of...

Paris: French lawmakers on Thursday backed a bill aimed at increasing the regulation of tourist accommodation such as Airbnb to combat the shortage of affordable housing.

The National Assembly lower house adopted the legislation by a large majority, with the far right voting against.

The bill -- the result of a compromise between the two houses of French parliament -- had been unanimously approved by the upper house Senate on Tuesday.

The legislation, which has been in the works since April 2023, aims to slash tax breaks for tourist properties in a bid to curb short-term rentals amid shortages of affordable housing.

The aim is to regulate short-term rentals, an activity that is now "spiralling out of control", said Annaïg Le Meur, one of the lawmakers behind the bill.