17.02.2023
MPs on Tuesday called for crackdown on people who rent out their properties but continue to evade taxes by not registering as Airbnb.
The House Commerce Committee discussed the issue at an extraordinary meeting. Due to the upcoming presidential elections, Parliament is on vacation and will meet regularly in March.
Committee chairman Kyriakos Hadjiyannis later said that only about 5,000 properties out of about 15,000 had applied to be registered as self-catering or Airbnb tourist accommodations.
“That’s why it was decided to put pressure on the remaining 70 percent to also apply.”
The deputy stressed that “we will not help those who have not shown interest in applying or want to act on their own terms, because competition cannot be distorted, but it must occur in accordance with the law and the market.
“Airbnb hotel rooms and suites cater to different types of travelers. If Airbnb properties operate without paying taxes, it means they are breaking the law, so we need to find a solution to a problem that has existed for decades.”
Parliamentarians have drafted two bills intended as a carrot and stick for wayward Airbnb vendors.
The first includes providing accommodation to property owners to register as self-catering tourist accommodation; the second bill would provide an extension for such owners to properly register.
Hadjiyannis said benefits would be given to those who have a title deed and urban planning permit, as well as those who generate electricity from renewable energy sources if they are not connected to the grid.
An emergency committee meeting was called because Airbnb providers were due to register with the authorities on February 7th. However, there was no quorum, since only three deputies were present, so the meeting was held in the form of an informal discussion.
Also present was the outgoing Deputy Minister of Tourism, Savvas Perdios, during his last appearance in Parliament.
