Tallinn wants to restrict short term rental apartments in Old Town
Tallinn wants to reduce the number of Old Town apartments on the short-term rental market and bring more permanent residents to the district under a new development plan. How this will be done remains unclear.
Several European cities, such as Barcelona and Amsterdam, have long been working to reduce the number of tourist properties in their city centers. The recently adopted development plan for Tallinn's Old Town attempts to address the same issue.
"The Old Town is currently an important tourist destination, and we want to keep it that way. At the same time, it's also important to preserve the local population and make the area attractive for domestic tourists as well," said Deputy Mayor Madle Lippus (SDE).
Old Town resident Ville Jehe is used to the crowds of tourists but still prefers to spend the peak season away from the city.
"Summer really is extremely intense. I try to spend less time there in the summer because even getting to my building – since I live on Viru tänav – is often difficult by car. Even walking takes time," said Ville Jehe, a board member of the Vanalinna Selts (Old Town Society) and entrepreneur.
Jehe said noise from entertainment and accommodation establishments is a normal part of life for Old Town residents. For example, the building he lives in has one short-term rental apartment that can accommodate up to 16 people at a time.
"The problem today is the lack of regulations. It can mean that one guest apartment has 16 beds, which may cause significant distress and daily conflict for local residents. If someone discovers that the home they've bought is effectively a hotel, they might not be very happy or satisfied with that," said Ain Käpp, a board member of the Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association.
The city government does not have a clear plan for how to regulate short-term rentals. Käpp believes that requiring registration for such apartments would help. Jehe, however, thinks that housing associations should be more involved.
"I would also like each housing association to have the right to decide whether any short-term rentals are allowed in their building at all, and if they are, to set certain conditions. For example, utility costs can be several times higher," Jehe added.
By fall, a study commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications on the short-term rental market is expected to be completed, which will help guide future actions.
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Editor: Helen Wright
