Following the call from the European Commission and EU consumer authorities in July, Airbnb has now committed to making the necessary changes to their terms and conditions and improving the presentation of their prices. The company has until the end of 2018 to make these changes on all EU language versions of their website.
Airbnb has committed to presenting the total price of bookings, including extra fees, such as service and cleaning charges. When it is not possible to calculate the final price in advance, they have committed to clearly informing the consumer that additional fees might apply.
In addition, Airbnb has committed to clearly identifying whether an offer is made by a private host or by a professional, as the consumer protection rules differ for each.
The project has been coordinated by the Norwegian consumer authority Forbrukertilsynet. The Consumer Ombudsman participates in the EU’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network on Finland’s behalf.
Read more:
- EU consumer rules: Airbnb commits to complying with European Commission and EU consumer authorities’ demands. European Commission’s press release 20 September 2018.
- EU consumer rules: The European Commission and EU consumer authorities push Airbnb to comply. European Commission’s press release 16 July 2018.