Two thirds of Berlin’s 12,000 tourist apartments advertised on sites such as Airbnb were being run illegally from Friday following a law change, leaving hosts open to potential punishment.
People renting out their apartments to tourists had until Thursday to register with Berlin’s Senate who will then decide whether to grant permission for the rental or not.
Yet around two thirds remained unregistered and were from Friday being run illegally, the Morgenpost newspaper said.
A last minute rush saw hundreds register their flats over the past week to avoid possible legal consequences and an immediate ban if caught.
Many are thought to be relying on Senate staffing shortages which may render the new law unenforceable, the paper said.
The new rules are part of a strategy to address what politicians say is a housing crisis facing the German capital.
Between 10,000 and 12,000 flats are vacant and let out to tourists, most of them in the central districts, while a housing shortage for people living in the city has seen rents increase.
The boom in rental apartments means people such as estate agent Marcus Buthmann can let out nine tourist apartments in the popular north-eastern district of Prenzlauer Berg, without owning any of them himself. (more)
Read the whole story here: http://www.thelocal.de/20140801/two-thirds-of-berlins-tourist-flats-now-illegal
Source: The Local