The municipal government in the administrative district Skaftárhreppur in South Iceland has placed stringent restrictions on Airbnb’s and the opening of new guesthouses in the village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV reports that anyone wishing to convert his property to short term rental or offering rooms must fulfil new stringent requirements. The decision is aimed at alleviating a housing shortage in the village.
Kirkjubæjarklaustur is the second community in South Iceland to take drastic measures to curb the growth of Airbnb's and guesthouses. Recently the village of Vík instituted what amounts to a ban on new Airbnb's.
Read more: An Airbnb ban in the village of Vík in South Iceland
The mayor of Skaftárhreppur told RÚV that a serious housing shortage had developed in the village. Conversion of homes into guesthouses or Airbnb’s made this worse. “The housing shortage in Kirkjubæjarklaustur is beginning to hold back economic development in the village, so we must take drastic action before we are facing an even more serious problem.”
Currently the municipality owns no land to offer for residential construction, a problem the mayor hopes will soon be alleviated. However, the municipality does have land which is zoned for business purposes zoned and ready for construction. The mayor therefore encourages anyone interested in entering the hotel business to build a new guesthouse or hotel in the village.
The municipal government in the administrative district Skaftárhreppur in South Iceland has placed stringent restrictions on Airbnb’s and the opening of new guesthouses in the village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV reports that anyone wishing to convert his property to short term rental or offering rooms must fulfil new stringent requirements. The decision is aimed at alleviating a housing shortage in the village.
Kirkjubæjarklaustur is the second community in South Iceland to take drastic measures to curb the growth of Airbnb's and guesthouses. Recently the village of Vík instituted what amounts to a ban on new Airbnb's.
Read more: An Airbnb ban in the village of Vík in South Iceland
The mayor of Skaftárhreppur told RÚV that a serious housing shortage had developed in the village. Conversion of homes into guesthouses or Airbnb’s made this worse. “The housing shortage in Kirkjubæjarklaustur is beginning to hold back economic development in the village, so we must take drastic action before we are facing an even more serious problem.”
Currently the municipality owns no land to offer for residential construction, a problem the mayor hopes will soon be alleviated. However, the municipality does have land which is zoned for business purposes zoned and ready for construction. The mayor therefore encourages anyone interested in entering the hotel business to build a new guesthouse or hotel in the village.
