Airbnb to voluntarily mandate licensing for listings in Korea
Key Takeaways
- By late 2024, Airbnb in Korea will require new listings to submit and display compliance information
- Existing listings will face removal by late 2025 if they cannot demonstrate compliance with accommodation rules for home sharing
- Home sharing on Airbnb is crucial to addressing tourism accommodation shortages and helping the Government meet its goal of attracting 30 million guests by 2027
Key Takeaways
- By late 2024, Airbnb in Korea will require new listings to submit and display compliance information
- Existing listings will face removal by late 2025 if they cannot demonstrate compliance with accommodation rules for home sharing
- Home sharing on Airbnb is crucial to addressing tourism accommodation shortages and helping the Government meet its goal of attracting 30 million guests by 2027
From the end of 2024, all new Airbnb listings in Korea must submit and display relevant accommodation license information. This voluntary step aims to make it easier for more Koreans to understand the rules that allow them and the community to benefit from home sharing.
Under the plan, all existing listings will have until the end of 2025 to submit and display license information on their Airbnb listing page. From the end of 2025, any listings that fail to comply will be removed.
“Airbnb is built on trust, that’s why we’ve voluntarily committed to address unreported listings in Korea by the end of 2025. Whilst not required by law, this step aims to enhance trust in Korea, make it easier for people to follow the rules, and to demonstrate the many benefits home sharing brings to communities.
We are hoping that our voluntary measures will pave the way for discussions to reform the license systems for home sharing across Korea, to make it easier for Koreans to share their homes and importantly widen the availability and range of accommodation options for visitors to Korea.”
Lyla Seo, Airbnb Country Manager for Korea
To ensure that hosts are made aware of these obligations, Airbnb will communicate the changes to hosts, along with deadlines to comply and the necessary steps required to do so. There will also be clear sign-up pages for any new hosts looking to list their homes. In addition to this, Airbnb will run a series of webinars explaining the changes and the actions hosts need to take to ensure they meet these obligations.
With Korea expecting an increase in international travelers over the next few years, home sharing supports the growth of sustainable tourism, helping local communities and economies to prosper.
An independent study by Oxford Economics found Airbnb contributed KRW 3.9 trillion to South Korea’s GDP during the 12 months to March, 2023 which in turn, supported an estimated 67,900 jobs. This positive research was also supported by the independent think tank Embrain, which found 83% of Koreans surveyed supported home sharing and thought Airbnb played a fundamental role in boosting the country’s tourism industry.
As tourism continues to rebound, Airbnb will continue to play a crucial role in providing much-needed accommodation across the country, helping the Government achieve its goal of attracting 30 million foreign tourists by 2027.