As of January 1st, 2014, Berlin officials have forbid the practice of renting apartments between individuals for short-term holiday stays. The practice is now punishable with up to 50,000 euro in fines.The issue has become a large-scale issue, even in addition to escaping normal taxation in the hotel sector. The fine was largely prompted by the disturbance in the housing market due to the lack of long-term rentals.In addition, the influx of tourists over the weekend has caused complaints by the residents, who have grown weary of noisy holidaymakers invading residential buildings.This development is a blow to short-term rental sites like AirBnB, and a victory for the city's hoteliers.
