“We don’t want to ban anything. We only want residents, homeowners’ associations and local governments to be able to decide whether short-term rentals should be allowed,” Przemysław Czarnek said during a press conference in Warsaw. The Law and Justice (PiS) candidate for prime minister criticized the government’s draft legislation, arguing that it fails to protect residents from the nuisance caused by so-called “party hotels.”
In mid-July, the government approved a draft amendment regulating the short-term rental market. A provision allowing municipalities to establish zones where short-term rentals would be prohibited was removed from the bill. Minister of Funds and Regional Policy Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz opposed the change, while the Ministry of Sport argued that such regulations were unnecessary.
As Niezalezna previously reported, the behind-the-scenes work on the draft legislation revealed that, despite the government’s promises to “end the chaos in the market,” the bill merely introduces a registration system for short-term rental properties located in residential buildings. It provides neither residents nor local governments with effective tools to combat so-called “party hotels.”
The final version of the bill is the result of successful lobbying efforts. It also exposes a dispute between the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy and the Ministry of Sport. Instead of introducing meaningful protections for residents and allowing municipalities to create “party hotel”-free zones, the government adopted legislation aligned with the interests of Airbnb Germany GmbH – the Berlin-based German branch of the global Airbnb platform. And that is not the only example.
“We Are Fighting for Residents’ Rights”
The opposition has rejected the government’s proposal, arguing that it is incomplete, vague and omits the most important provisions.
Mateusz Kurzejewski, deputy spokesperson for Law and Justice (PiS), posted a photo on social media today from outside a tenement building at 4 Zgoda Street in Warsaw. The picture shows the Law and Justice (PiS) politician alongside a resident of the building.
“Mr. Andrzej lives in the tenement building at 4 Zgoda Street in Warsaw. Short-term rentals, constant parties, noise and shouting make normal life impossible. We are fighting for residents’ rights and for their right to decide what happens where they live.”
A press conference by Law and Justice (PiS)‘s candidate for prime minister, Prof. Przemysław Czarnek, was also held outside the building.
“We are standing in a very important place in Warsaw. This tenement building at 4 Zgoda Street was saved during the first term of the Law and Justice (PiS) government from the wild reprivatization process that threatened several buildings and would have thrown residents out onto the streets, as many people will remember. This demonstrates that the concerns of tenants, residents and apartment owners in places like this – in the heart of Warsaw – are extremely important to us. That is why we are here today with the residents to protest against what the government and the Council of Ministers have adopted in the draft law on short-term rentals,” Czarnek said.
He stressed that “the most important provisions are missing from the current draft. The bill does not give residents, municipalities, local governments or homeowners’ associations the authority to decide what happens where they live. That is all we are asking for. We do not want to ban anything. We simply want residents, homeowners’ associations and local governments to decide whether short-term rentals should be allowed in a given location.”
“People want to live in peace. They want to raise their children, relax after work and enjoy normal lives – not endure constant fights, arguments, noise, shouting, drunken people in stairwells and everything else that comes with it. We can all imagine what it would be like if every Friday or Saturday apartments divided into tiny units were rented out for a few hours for parties that no one can control,” the Law and Justice (PiS) candidate for prime minister added.
He continued: “Therefore, in the legislation on short-term rentals, Law and Justice (PiS) will seek not only the provisions already proposed, such as the registration system and oversight mechanisms, but also solutions enabling homeowners’ associations and municipalities to decide whether short-term rentals should be prohibited in specific areas.”
“So we are not calling for a ban, but for decisions to be made at the community level. This is essential so that residents feel safe in their homes. It is necessary to prevent our housing estates, tenement buildings and apartment blocks from turning into places of endless partying without any control, to the detriment of the people who own, rent and live in these homes every day,” he concluded.