Plans for the Long-Term Regulation of Vacation Rentals
Langen to Approve Vacation Rental Ordinance in September
The city of Langen, Germany is set to approve a new ordinance regulating vacation rentals in an effort to ease the city's tense housing market and prevent usage conflicts in residential areas. The decision will be made by the city council on September 18th.
Since 2020, Langen has been officially designated as an area with a tense housing market. This tense situation has been exacerbated by the growing offer of apartments used as vacation rentals, leading to tensions in residential areas, according to First Deputy Mayor Stefan Löbig.
The city administration has been receiving increasing complaints from the neighborhood of the affected houses due to disturbances caused by noise or parties from frequent guest changes. To counter this, the proposed ordinance requires a permit for every conversion of residential space into a vacation rental.
The ordinance aims to ease the housing market in Langen and avoid usage conflicts in residential areas. A prerequisite for a permit is proof that the applicant creates equivalent replacement housing - both spatially and temporally. Exceptions will be made for those who temporarily rent out a single room in their apartment or accommodate guests for a maximum of three months per year during their own vacation, who will not need a permit.
Since a change in building regulations in 2017, vacation rentals are allowed in almost all residential areas in Langen. However, the new ordinance will provide more structure and control over the conversion of residential spaces into vacation rentals in the city area.
The ordinance is expected to be discussed by the committee for the environment, construction, and traffic on September 3rd, and by the main and finance committee on September 4th, before the final decision is made by the city council on September 18th. All sessions will take place at 8:00 PM in the town hall.
Despite ongoing and planned housing construction projects, the housing supply remains limited in Langen. The city council hopes that the new ordinance will help alleviate the pressure on the housing market and improve living conditions for residents.
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The upcoming vacation rental ordinance, set to be approved in September, is part of Langen's policy-and-legislation efforts to address the tense housing market and prevent disturbances in residential areas. This new transport of rules, regulating vacation rentals, will provide a more structured approach to the conversion of residential spaces, as per the general news regarding the city's ongoing housing challenges.
