Buried in the heat of controversy! Residents are tired of short-term and nocturnal appointments

Zakopane, the winter capital of Poland, was one more time at the centre of a heated discussion. This time it's not about crowds of tourists in Krupówki or the prices of Oscypki, but about growing short-term rental problem. Residents have adequate noisy events, strangers hanging around staircases and “suspicious services” hidden under the sign of relaxation massages. Will the city be regulated effectively?

Tatras attract, but is there area for everyone?

Every year Zakopane beats another popularity record. In the winter period hotels and apartments break in stitchesand rental prices scope astronomical amounts. In theory, local entrepreneurs should be happy, but reality looks different.

Many residents complain about the adverse effects of short-term rental. In the blocks, where only a fewer years ago mostly highlanders lived, apartments rented for days dominate today. As a result, the lives of the neighbors turn into a nightmare. The noisy groups of tourists, eternal events, the deficiency of parking spaces – they are everyday in many Zakopane buildings.

Massages or social services? Suspected venues under the Tatras

Residents besides signal another problem. As local media reports, under the pretext of relaxation massages in many rented apartments there is activity of dubious character. The customers of these “services” are fast changing, calling the apartments at night, and the neighbors cannot number on peace.

• “It utilized to be a quiet settlement, now all weekend we have real confusion here,” laments 1 of the residents. “New guests are always coming, and there are fights at night. The police are coming, but in a minute it starts all over again.”

The deficiency of any control over this kind of rental is besides worrying. The tenants don't know who lives behind the wall, and the flat owners number the profits.. Everything takes place in a grey area, and the authoritative authorities are incapable to intervene effectively.

Buried needs to be adjusted. Will the city follow Barcelona?

The short-term rental problem is not new. Cities specified as Barcelona, Berlin or Amsterdam have long introduced strict regulations, limiting the number of days you can rent apartments for. In Poland, akin solutions are only just disappearing.

The Mayor of Zakopane, Łukasz Filipowicz, draws attention to the request for decisive action. In his opinion Housing communities should have the right to decide whether short-term rental can be carried out in their buildings.. It besides calls for municipalities to designate zones where specified services will be banned.

• "This is not just a substance of sound or nuisance. Renting a day causes property prices to rise, and average residents cannot afford to buy their own place," Filipowicz emphasizes.

Will change come in time?

Despite the increasing discontent of residents The government has inactive not provided concrete solutions on short-term rental. There are no uniform rules to let cities to effectively regulate this phenomenon.

One thing is certain – Buried faces a serious challenge. If the situation is not contained, the residents may begin to leave the city in bulk, leaving it to tourists and property speculators.

Will the authorities of Zakopane find an effective solution? Or will the problem be swept under the carpet and the residents will gotta get utilized to the fresh reality? We will know the answer in the coming months.