Regulation of the So-Called Sharing Economy in Accommodation Services in the Context of Negative Externalities
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Technická Univerzita v Liberci
Technical university of Liberec, Czech Republic
Technical university of Liberec, Czech Republic
Abstract
This paper investigates the impact of regulatory measures on the short-term accommodation sector within the sharing economy, with a focus on the challenge of mitigating negative externalities. Using comparative analysis, the study examines Germany—a country that has introduced increasingly strict regulations—and the Czech Republic, which lacks systemic regulatory controls. Drawing on data from Eurostat, STR Global, and Czech statistical offices, the research applies Pearson’s correlation coefficient to assess the relationship between the number of short-term rental offers in both countries between 2018 and 2025. The results show a statistically significant and strong positive correlation, indicating that Germany’s regulatory measures have not led to a meaningful reduction in the supply of short-term rentals. The discussion explores potential explanations for this limited effectiveness, such as circumvention by providers, enforcement challenges despite high fines, and the structural underinvestment in affordable rental housing that regulation does not address. Moreover, while local measures such as registration requirements and annual limits may offer some control, they often fail to prevent market adaptation. The findings highlight the complexity of managing negative externalities in the sharing economy and question the sufficiency of regulation as a standalone policy instrument. The paper concludes that effective solutions require a coordinated approach combining improved data sharing, local enforcement capacity, and broader housing policy reforms. Without these complementary measures, regulatory efforts risk remaining largely cosmetic, offering only limited and temporary mitigation of the negative externalities associated with short-term rentals.
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Sharing Economy, Short-Term Rentals, Negative Externalities, Regulation
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978-80-7494-747-6