Listings have begun being removed from Airbnb in New York as the city begins its crackdown on short-term lets.
The issue of temporary lets for tourists has been a hot topic in recent days, with a new licensing system to come into place in Edinburgh on October 1.
Ministers have said the scheme, which has already been delayed by six months, will ensure short-term let properties are regulated in the same way as other types of accommodation, such as hotels and caravan parks.
Far more stringent regulation has come into force in New York, with hundreds of properties being de-listed from the Airbnb website.
Local Law 18, which came into force on Tuesday, mandates that short-term rental hosts - i.e people renting out a property for fewer than 30 days - must register with the local government.
Read More: D-Day for unlicensed Airbnbs: What Scotland can learn from a global let crisis
To qualify a person must live in the place they're renting and be present when they have someone else staying, with a maximum of two guests. Hosts in violation of the new legislation could face fines from $1,000 to $5,000.
To host a listing on their site, companies such as Airbnb and Vrbo must first ensure that the lettor is registered, with the New York Times reporting only 257 application registrations had been approved out of the 3,250 lodged as of August 28.
City officials say they have taken the steps in an effort to address Manhattan's housing shortage, arguing that short-term lets have priced residents out of their neighbourhoods with more than 40,000 short-term lets listed.
Permanent residents have also argued that short-term lets have increased problems with noise, crime and cleanliness.
Airbnb has said the new regulations amount to a "de-facto ban", while others have accused the city of being influenced by the hotel lobby and taking cheaper options away from visitors.
Theo Yedinsky, global policy director for Airbnb said: "The city is sending a clear message to millions of potential visitors who will now have fewer accommodation options when they visit New York City: You are not welcome."
New York and Edinburgh are far from the only places to have taken action against short-term lets.
Santa Monica, California has banned renting for fewer than 30 days while Philadelphia has also passed restrictions.
In Copenhagen landlords have been banned from renting out properties for more than 70 days per year, while Barcelona and Berlin have introduced licensing schemes.
Read More: Edinburgh gets power to crack down on short-term lets
The Italian city of Florence has already taken steps to ban Airbnb-style homes, while a draft law has been introduced which would effectively ban short-term lets in 14 major cities and around 950 municipalities.
The bill proposed by tourism minister Daniela Santanché would require a stay of at least two nights in any historic city centre, the obligation to officially declare any residence has begun to be used for tourist lets - with fines of up to €10,000 for those who fail to do so - and an ID code which will be displayed to confirm the owner of the property.
It's estimated that there are 10,000 short-term rental properties in Rome alone.
The Czech Republic is mulling introducing new legislation, to take effect from 2025, which would govern Airbnb, Booking.com and Tripadvisor.
The companies provided 9.4million overnight stays in the country in 2019, according to iDnes, with two-thirds of those in Prague and the "vast majority" provided by non-residents.
Under the new proposals, each property will be issued a registration number which must be displayed online.
In the French capital of Paris, short-term landlords are only allowed to rent out a property for 120 days of the year and must register with their local authority.
In addition, lettors will have to advise customers if prices have been raised significantly during this month's rugby World Cup and for the Olympic Games next summer.
Olivia Grégoire, Minister delegate for small and medium enterprise, trade, craft and tourism, told Le Parisien: “We will sign a charter of commitment this autumn with the main platforms, including Airbnb, so that they commit to alerting renters when the price is abnormally high. This is one of the twelve proposals we made ahead of the Rugby World Cup this autumn and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024.”
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