Budapest district narrowly votes to ban short-term rentals from 2026

Tourists pull their suitcases in downtown Budapest, Hungary, September 4, 2024. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/ File Photo

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Residents of Budapest's sixth district have narrowly voted to ban short-term rentals from 2026 in a decision which could have wider ramifications for the housing market in one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations.

Eurostat figures show almost 719 million guest nights spent in the European Union were booked via online platforms Airbnb, Booking, Expedia Group and Tripadvisor last year, with Paris leading EU capitals with over 19 million guest nights.