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By Euronews
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Short-term rentals are on the rise in Italy, according to a pan-European survey commissioned by accommodation platform Airbnb.
It found that in 2025, the majority of Italians needed to make non-tourist bookings for medium to long periods, which went beyond the duration of a standard holiday.
In total**,** according to the latest figures,more than 114 million guests stayed in accommodation on the Airbnb platform in the European Union in 2025. This represents a contribution of over €53.2 billion to the EU’s GDP, supporting over 904,000 jobs.
Short-term rentals are increasing in Italy
84% of respondents to the Airbnb survey in Italy say they needed a temporary housing solution at least once in 2025, compared to the European average of 81%.
According to the latest data from the Italian Association of Short-term Rental Managers (Aigab), the number of homes available for short-term rentals has grown compared to previous years.
They now account for about 1.4% of the national housing stock, equating to just over 500,000 units out of about 35 million homes.
The phenomenon is particularly highly concentrated in tourist cities, where the debate has intensified in recent years due to the impact on the supply of housing available for residents.
A solution for study, work and transitional periods
According to the survey, short-term rentals are used during transitional periods, when a stable housing solution is not yet available.
The main reasons given by respondents include the search for a long-term home (27%), study or education (24%), work (24%), medical treatment (23%) and vocational training (21%).
“The European housing debate often ignores the needs of those who are neither tourists nor permanent residents,” said George Mavros, Head of Government Affairs for the European Union at Airbnb, pointing out that for millions of people, temporary accommodation represents “a necessity rather than a luxury”.
From student mobility to medical care
Short-term rentals are also being used to meet specific needs, such as student mobility or stays related to healthcare. More and more students use the platform to find transitional solutions.
In Italy, according to researchers, around one million patients each year, or 8.8% of the total number of hospitalised patients, require treatment outside their region of residence.
In Europe, this is also reflected in accommodation bookings near major hospitals. Near the La Pitié-Salpêtrière and Necker Enfants facilities in Paris, for example, more than 2,200 accommodations within a one-kilometre radius hosted around 25,000 people in 2025.
According to the study, short-term rentals are also used to temporarily increase the accommodation capacity of cities during major international events, avoiding investment in permanent infrastructure.
This happened, for example, during the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, which represented the largest hosting event in Airbnb’s history with almost 700,000 guests from 160 countries, and more recently during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina.
The European debate on short-term rentals
The issue of short-term rentals has become increasingly relevant in the political debate at a European level.
Increasing numbers of temporary accommodation is often linked to the growing difficulties of access to housing in the continent’s main cities.
According to data released by Eurostat, more than 854 million nights were booked in the EU in 2024 through online short-rental platforms, including Airbnb and Booking.com.
This is significantly higher than the figure recorded before the pandemic and up roughly 19% compared to 2023.
The growth in tourism demand and the spread of short-term rentals have prompted several European cities, including Barcelona, Venice, Lisbon and Amsterdam, to adopt new regulatory measures.
These include authorisation systems, licence limits or specific restrictions to curb the impact on the local property market.
In some cases, they have even gone so far as to discuss hypotheses for the gradual reduction of tourist rentals, opening a debate between local administrations, tourism operators and digital platforms on the delicate balance between economic development and the protection of the right to housing.
The European plan for accessible housing
The issue has also gradually entered the agenda of the EU institutions. TheEuropean Commissionis working on the first Affordable Housing Action Plan in cooperation with several mayors of European capitals.
It aims to tackle the shortage of affordable housing and rising prices in European urban areas.
The EU estimates that, to meet demand, 2.25 million homes will have to be created in the EU each year in the next few years, 650,000 more than are being produced now.
The programme envisages a total investment of €43 billion until 2027, with the aim of mobilising up to €375 billion from the private sector by 2029.
Initiatives under consideration include a strengthening of investment in social housing and new measures to improve the transparency of the short-term rental market, especially in cities where housing pressure is highest.
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