Prague City Hall wants to change the law that regulates the operation of the accommodation through the Airbnb application. Accommodation providers, for example, would be obliged to give the city information on the residents, and Prague also wants to introduce the possibility to regulate Airbnb through decrees. 

Last year, people booked 1.79 million overnight stays through Airbnb in Prague, which is 61 percent higher than the previous year.

One reason for a plan to change the rules is complaints from residents. According to the city, Airbnb is changing the character of some neighborhoods that have traditionally been designed for long-term living.

The city wants to regulate shared accommodation for security and safety in homes, as the system leads to non-residents having access to halls and common spaces in residential buildings.

Because many people have been buying up flats just to rent out, the availability of housing for Prague residents has been drastically reduced and prices have risen. Hotels also complain of unequal conditions and unfair competition, as Airbnb operators do not have to meet the same legal standards as hotels. 

>> Read full article by Raymond Johnston for Prague.tv.