Airbnb Exec to To Vima: Short-Term Rentals Help Greece, But Regulation Needed

At the Delphi Economic Forum X, Valentina Reino, Airbnb’s Head of Public Policy for Southern Europe spoke to Editor-in-Cheif of TO BHMA International Edition Odin Linardatou about key issues affecting the platform—ranging from the housing crisis and over-tourism to taxation and U.S. tariffs.

Speaking on the housing challenges in Greece and other European cities, Rina acknowledged the growing debate around short-term rentals and their societal impact. “The housing issue is very important, we take it very seriously and we really want to be part of the solution to the debate […] What we have seen based on the data is that short-term rentals actually have a very significant benefit for the Greek economy and local communities,” she asserted. “This is why we believe that incentives can be an effective proposal.”

Rina highlighted the role of Greek citizens who rent out their primary or secondary residences as a means of supplementing their income. “This is a very important local benefit that we need to protect,” she said. However, she raised concerns about commercial operators who purchase multiple properties for short-term rental use. “We also see companies buying small apartments and turning them into short-term rentals and how can there be regulation to protect society from this kind of short-term rentals,” she added, suggesting regulation should focus on such commercial activities.

Citing research presented at the forum, she noted that 70% of hosts do not rely on short-term rentals as their main occupation. “So this is still the core of the short-term rental activity. What is growing, which is speculation, which is commercial activities, that is what needs to be targeted by the regulators in Greece,” she said.

On the topic of over-tourism, Rina equivocated, “We have seen low-cost airlines bringing in a lot of tourists. We saw cruise ships, we saw coaches. So short-term rentals are a very small part of all that,” she said. “The approach to over tourism should be looked at in a holistic way.”

Rina also highlighted Airbnb’s agreement with Greek tax authorities. “Airbnb, together with Booking.com and Expedia, made an agreement with the AADE to share basic data every year. This has proven to be a really effective agreement,” she said.

Regarding U.S. tariffs, Reino concluded that “it is too early” to determine any impact on Airbnb.