Wunderflats GmbH
Plattform für möblierte Vermietung von Wohnungen für ausländische Fachkräfte, Geflüchtete und Menschen mit flexiblem Wohnbedarf
ID: 470322898298-06
Lobbying Activity
Response to European Affordable Housing Plan
13 May 2025
As a leading European platform for flexible furnished housing, Wunderflats fully supports the objectives of the European Affordable Housing Plan. Housing is one of the defining social issues of our time, and addressing the housing crisis requires coordinated action across Europe. At the same time, we must recognise that the way people live and work has changed fundamentally. Housing is no longer a static, lifelong arrangement. People move more frequently for work, study, family, or personal reasons. Flexible living solutions are essential to respond to these modern needs. Flexible furnished rentals, typically lasting several months, fill a critical gap in Europes housing ecosystem. They offer an affordable and practical option for students, young professionals, interns, expats, and individuals undergoing life transitions. These groups often do not fit into the rigid categories of either short-stay tourist accommodation or long-term unfurnished leases. Flexible furnished rentals provide access to stable housing without the burden of purchasing furniture, negotiating long-term contracts, or overcoming administrative and credit-related hurdles. These issues are particularly acute for cross-border movers. This form of housing also supports affordability and reduces pressure on public resources. People who need to relocate temporarily, such as for an exchange semester or a job assignment, can do so without giving up their primary, affordable residence. It also reduces the need to maintain two homes at once. Furthermore, furnishing costs are shared across multiple tenants, lowering the financial entry threshold. Initiatives like Helfende Wände in Germany have demonstrated the public value of this model. By placing 30,000 displaced individuals in privately offered furnished apartments, the government saved an estimated 500 million in accommodation costs. Beyond supporting individual mobility and affordability, flexible furnished rentals bring underutilized housing back onto the market. Homes that might otherwise remain empty, such as secondary residences or temporarily vacant properties, can be rented out for medium durations. This creates new housing supply without additional construction. Flexible furnished housing is therefore a low-barrier, high-impact solution for cities facing housing shortages. However, for this model to be effective and protected, regulatory clarity is needed. We encourage the European Commission to support the development of a dedicated tenancy category for flexible furnished rentals. This category should be distinct from both holiday accommodation and permanent leases. Frances Mobility Lease, introduced in 2018, offers a promising model. At the same time, a clear legal distinction between tourist and non-tourist rentals, based on criteria like purpose of stay and rental duration, would allow Member States to enforce misuse regulations more effectively. This is especially important in cities struggling with overtourism. Flexible furnished housing contributes to affordability, enables mobility, promotes social inclusion, and makes more efficient use of existing housing stock. It should be recognised as a strategic component of Europes Affordable Housing Plan. With targeted regulation and support, it can become a key pillar in delivering the vision of a more affordable, more inclusive, and more mobile European housing market.
Read full responseMeeting with Agnese Papadia (Cabinet of Commissioner Dan Jørgensen), Philippe Moseley (Cabinet of Commissioner Dan Jørgensen)
3 Apr 2025 · Short Term Accommodation Rentals