Short-term rentals are already ahead of hotels in Rovaniemi – the mayor says more hotels are needed

Rovaniemi’s record-breaking tourist winter has driven tourists to stay in short-stay accommodation while the city’s hotels are full.

Short-term rentals seem to have overtaken hotels in Rovaniemi. According to Visitory tourism statistics, the city recorded more overnight stays in unregistered accommodation such as Airbnb than registered accommodation in January.

This was somewhat to be expected, as in December, the main season of the year, unregistered accommodation already reached almost the same level as registered accommodation. The total number of nights spent in paid accommodation in the city was almost 308 000.

According to Vainio, the main problem is that there are not enough hotels in the city.

– We have town plans, but the investments have not started at the speed needed.

Several big hotel projects have long been planned for Rovaniemi.

Hotels: common rules for all

However, Sandgren says that a competitive position like the present is unfair, as not all of the accommodation markets are subject to the same rules.

He recalls that the hotels are guided by many regulations from the law, unlike short renters. They are also obliged to pay VAT and often also higher property tax.

\”In practice, however, it seems that many\” short renters \”offerings are home investors or companies engaged in professional accommodation, Sandgren says.

-The challenge is that professional accommodation activities in residential areas will weaken the reputation and social acceptance of tourism in the area if accommodation interferes with residents, Tarkka explains.

Rovaniemi has already experience. Short rental and its disadvantages in residential buildings have been a major controversy in the city in recent years.

The City intends to comment on the draft law

Both Sandgren and the exact call to call that tourism growth should be controlled.

\”It would be important for a vision of a city, above all, in the direction in which tourism is being developed,\” says Sandgren.

-We need to think a little about what kind of town planning will be done in the future to get this challenge to be solved so that the Rovaniemi people are satisfied, but the tourists would receive the capacity they want, says Ulla-Kirsikka Vainio, Mayor of Rovaniemi.

According to him, Rovaniemi would, above all, need a clear law that would facilitate the control of short rental control. In his view, the new draft law of the Ministry of the Environment is not.

– I would have liked to have a clearer tool on how to watch those (rented) days from an authority perspective, and, if necessary, take action if needed, Vainio criticizes.

According to him, the city of Rovaniemi will pronounce the draft law.

For this story, Yle also asked for an interview with Visit Rovaniemi and Lapland Hotels, who refused to interview.