The Prague 1 municipal council has formally requested that the Minister of Regional Development extend the ban on short-term, online flat rental platforms such as Airbnb. They were banned in March as part of the restrictive measures placed on hotels and restaurants, but with the official state of emergency due to end in 10 days, residents in Prague 1 worry about the resumption of business as usual. Prague 1 said that with no official registry of apartments that are leased out in this way, it’s impossible to control the security of what is happening in the buildings and in their common areas. Residents complain about the large crowds of tourists that make noise both outside on the streets and in the apartments they rent. It’s estimated that up to 20 percent of apartments in the center are leased out on a short-term basis.
