Airbnb increasingly popular in Belgium

The number of accommodations listed on the website Airbnb.com in Belgium increased from 3,000 to 5,000 in the past year. In Brussels, the number of accommodations increased by 174% in 2014, reports Le Soir.

Airbnb, the website where individuals can offer a house or room for rent to tourists, has grown considerably in Belgium over the past year. At the end of 2013, there were 3,000 rooms available via the site, and currently there are around 5,000.

Airbnb booked the strongest growth in Brussels, with 174 % more visitors recorded in 2014 than the previous year, and the number of Brussels residents who use Airbnb while travelling abroad also increased, by 164%.

The increase comes in spite of an ordinance passed in April by the Brussels parliament which intends to curb the initiative, after representatives from the hotel sector in Brussels complained of unfair competition. Individuals who rent out their homes via Airbnb do not have to adhere to the same strict regulations as landlords or hotel and B&B owners.