GENEVA, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Online accommodation platforms such as Airbnb could lead to fewer homes available for tenants and higher rental prices in Switzerland, local Swiss media cited a study as revealing on Tuesday.
According to a survey by the Inura Zurich Institute, commissioned by the Zurich Tenants' Association, Airbnb and similar online holiday rental platforms have particularly negative effects on cities popular with tourists which suffer from a shortage of long-term rentals.
An online Swissinfo report said that the study showed the growth of Airbnb in three Swiss cities. In Basel, the number of apartments on the platform rose from 293 in 2013 to 1,092 in 2016, accounting for 42 percent of the number of beds available in Basel hotels last year.
In Geneva, one-third of owners renting property offer accommodation on Airbnb, some renting three or four apartments.
According to the report, the study found 70 percent of the apartments on Airbnb could be rented all year round.
Two people in Geneva offer 33 and 34 apartments for rent on Airbnb, and the record in Switzerland in 2016 is 105 apartments offered on Airbnb by a single supplier, the report said.
In Zurich, 2,000 properties were offered on Airbnb in August 2016, representing 0.4 percent of the total offer of apartments for rent in the city.
The study's authors recommend regulating the supply of accommodation on rental platforms, for example by setting a maximum number of apartments that a supplier can offer. Tax issues also need to be addressed, they said.
