Prague wants to expand its housing stock, will rent private empty apartments via Airbnb
The Prague City Hall wants to rent apartments that their owners have so far offered for short-term leases, Hospodářské noviny (HN) writes. Following the example of Lisbon, the capital wants to expand its housing stock and at the same time reduce the possibility of Airbnb-type services. In the first phase, Prague wants to acquire 50 flats that would serve seniors or people from shelters.
The plan to rent apartments from private owners is in an advanced stage of preparation. “In April, we would like to discuss the launch of a pilot project in a number of cities,” said HN Prague Councilor for Housing Adam Zábranský (Pirates). He added that the city will probably not be looking for apartments in the center of the metropolis.
The city plans to spend ten million crowns on rentals in the first year. I expect that in the first year the program will end with a loss of five million crowns, in the future it should reach zero.
In recent years, Prague has been facing a housing crisis and ever-increasing housing prices. There are about 31,500 flats owned by the municipality and city districts in the capital, out of the original number of 194,000, which after 1991 became the property of the city. Privatizations of the city fund have been reduced by more than 80 percent.
At the beginning of this week, the Prague Council approved housing, which envisages the construction of at least 500 smaller city flats per year, by 2030. The city plans its own construction and also cooperates with private individuals, whether developers, construction cooperatives or civic associations. Representatives will discuss the strategy next week.