Institutional path dependence in European short-term rental regulation
Abstract
This article investigates how legal systems and legal experts across Europe respond to short-term rental accommodation (STRA), focusing on enforcement and authority allocation. It combines a comparative legal analysis of Germany, Poland, Italy and Spain with an experimental expert survey of approximately 180 legal scholars, embedding a strategic–interaction game that varies regulatory and market conditions. Findings reveal institutional lock-in: both legal systems as a whole and legal experts as individuals rely on traditional property/tenancy and competition frames, reinforcing path dependence. Experts also tend to overestimate compliance, even when fines are low and easily absorbed, underestimating the likelihood of strategic non-compliance.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Italy: Economic History and Contemporary Issues
Global Financial Regulation and Crises
Social Policy and Reform Studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Regional Studies
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 1
- Publication date
- 19 March 2026
- Language
- EN