To tackle rocketing housing prices, Israel suggests stranglehold on Airbnb rentals

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(TIMES OF ISRAEL) – An empty property is a lost opportunity for a home, even just for a day. Or at least that’s how Israel’s government sees it.

In November 2021, when the government unveiled its housing plan, one key element was a proposed clamp-down on short-term rentals — units offered by the day, week or month, primarily to vacationing tourists through platforms like Airbnb.

In the past year, short-term rentals have been accused of harming hotels attempting to recover from the COVID-19 travel shutdown and of crowding the property market, making realistically affordable real estate in high-demand areas like Tel Aviv even harder to come by, especially for long-term renters.

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