Airbnb and other home-sharing platforms are awaiting a ruling, due less than two months , by a Berlin city court on the legality of home-sharing in the city. Airbnb says watching Berlin verdict closely By Tina Bellon BERLIN, June 8 (Reuters) - A Berlin city court is due to make a landmark ruling with ramifications for home rental firms such as Airbnb on Wednesday when it decides if homeowners can engage in short-term lets. The practice is currently banned in Berlin , and people caught renting out their homes for today can expect fines of up to €100,000 and although landlords can apply for a permit, 95% of such requests are rejected. This does not seem to have deterred EU however, as Berlin currently has 11,700 listings in the city. If the court rules in favour of home-sharing, the ruling would obviously not have legally binding consequences in other regions, although it is thought it would have repercussions across Europe . "Cities are closely watching each other to see what types of regulations are possible and Berlin 's verdict will surely impact the behaviour of other cities," said Andreas Cremer , a lawyer who advises the EU on the sharing economy.
Airbnb and other home-sharing platforms are awaiting a ruling, due less than two months , by a Berlin city court on the legality of home-sharing in the city. The practice is currently banned in Berlin , and people caught renting out their homes for today can expect fines of up to €100,000 and although landlords can apply for a permit, 95% of such requests are rejected. This does not seem to have deterred EU however, as Berlin currently has 11,700 listings in the city. If the court rules in favour of home-sharing, the ruling would obviously not have legally binding consequences in other regions, although it is thought it would have repercussions across Europe . "Cities are closely watching each other to see what types of regulations are possible and Berlin 's verdict will surely impact the behaviour of other cities," said Andreas Cremer , a lawyer who advises the EU on the sharing economy.