The Flemish Minister of Tourism, Ben Weyts (N-VA) has had enough of Airbnb refusing to share the addresses of properties advertised for rent through its platform. On Tuesday, Het Nieuwsblad writes that he is intending to order the company to rectify the position.
The minister says, “We have no way of checking, for example, whether the properties in question meet fire safety standards.” The order requesting that Airbnb place the information on the site will be the first of its kind in Europe. “We are giving Airbnb the opportunity to come out of a ‘grey area'. If the company refuses to take action, our order will prove to be the first step towards bringing legal proceedings against it.
The Flemish Tourist Agency does already penalize owners of property, available for rent on Airbnb, who do not respect the appropriate standards.
The Brussels Times