City of Lucerne votes to restrict Airbnb rentals
Lucerne has become the latest Swiss city to limit short-term rentals, including Airbnb, to a maximum of 90 days a year.
Just over 64% of voters on Sunday approved a legal amendment put forward by the left-wing Social Democratic Party, according to official resultsExternal link.
The proposal aims to cap large-scale temporary rentals by commercial providers and make more living space available for local residents without hampering tourism, according to the campaigners.
The left-wing initiative amounts to a de facto ban for Airbnb, according to observers, as short-term rentals are only profitable for property owners after 90 days.
A watered-down counter-proposal by the local government failed to win a majority on Sunday.
Model Geneva
Restrictions on short-term subletting of accommodation have also been introduced in two regions in western Switzerland, notably Geneva over the past five years.
At a local level, the city of Bern also tightened legal conditions for short-term rentals by restricting the number of Airbnbs in one building in the historical old town.
Short-term rentals are subject to a tourism tax in several cantons, including Geneva, Zurich and Basel.
+ How the government is regulating Airbnb in Switzerland
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