Airbnb faces legal action over EU consumer rights | City A.M.
Consumer authorities and the European Commission today challenged short-term rentals marketplace Airbnb to comply with EU consumer law by August, or face legal action.
According to the Commission, Airbnb’s terms and conditions and transparency in how it presents its prices do not comply with a number of European Union consumer laws. Instead, the company should do more to empower users to sue hosts that break the site’s rules, and be more clear on whether a host is private or a professional.
“Popularity cannot be an excuse for not complying with EU consumer rules,” said commissioner for justice and consumers Vera Jourova.
“Consumers must easily understand what for and how much they are expected to pay for the services and have fair rules, [including] on cancellation of the accommodation by the owner.”
Read more: Airbnb aims to go public before the end of 2020
If Airbnb’s proposed changes do not satisfy the Commission, it could face legal action in any of the EU’s 28 member states.
Airbnb said in a statement: “We take this issue seriously and are committed to being as transparent as possible for our community.”
It added that users are made aware of all fees prior to booking a listing, and that it will work together with the authorities to clarify on all of the points the Commission has raised.