September 2020
September 2020 was a month of rules catching up with hosts. The European Union's top court ruled on 22 September that France could require authorization before a furnished home was let repeatedly to short-stay guests, and Toronto opened its registry on 10 September with a year-end deadline. Airbnb offered governments a data portal, Chicago and Vrbo moved against one-night bookings, Scotland set out a licensing plan, and Booking.com was closing offices in a restructuring it tied to the pandemic.
A look back, written in October 2026 from sources published in September 2020. Stay Gazette opened in July 2026.
Crackdown · 10 September 2020Toronto Opens Its Short-Term Rental Registry and Sets a Year-End DeadlineThe City of Toronto began registering short-term rental operators online on 10 September 2020. Hosts could rent only the home they lived in, paid a $50 fee, and had until 31 December 2020 to register if they were already renting.By Marcus Dane · Filed 11 October 2026 · 7 min read
World · 22 September 2020EU Top Court Backs France's Authorization Rule for Short-Term RentalsThe Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on 22 September 2020 that France could require prior authorization before a furnished home was let repeatedly to short-stay guests. The case came from two Paris studio owners fined EUR 15,000 each, and the rule did not cover a host's main residence.By Tomás Ferreira · Filed 11 October 2026 · 7 min read
Pictures on this page. 1. Photo: Toronto City Hall - Toronto, Ontario 2019-05-10 (01) by Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized). 2. Photo: West facade of Hôtel de Ville de Paris 1 by Ricardalovesmonuments, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
What else was reported in September 2020
- 23 September 2020Airbnb announced City Portal on 23 September 2020, a dashboard built for governments and tourism organizations, launching with more than 15 pilot cities and tourism partners, among them San Francisco, Seattle, New Orleans, Vancouver and Calgary. Airbnb Newsroom
- 9 September 2020Natural Retreats announced on 9 September 2020 that it had acquired Florida-based 360 Blue, which managed over 700 vacation properties in Gulf Coast beach communities, and said it would manage over 1,500 homes in 17 US destinations. The release gave no price. Natural Retreats (press release on PR Newswire)
- 14 September 2020A Scottish Government consultation paper published on 14 September 2020 proposed that all short-term lets would require a license, and said every local authority must have a licensing scheme open to applications by 1 April 2022. Scottish Government
- 11 September 2020Chicago's City Council approved an ordinance prohibiting one-night vacation rentals and setting a one-time $125 registration fee for hosts, ShortTermRentalz reported on 11 September 2020. The new enforcement rules were due to take effect on 17 October. ShortTermRentalz
- 14 September 2020Expedia Group told Arizona governor Doug Ducey in a letter that its Vrbo brand would block one-night rentals in the state from January, a step against large gatherings, ShortTermRentalz reported on 14 September 2020. ShortTermRentalz
- 14 September 2020Booking.com was closing at least five offices, in Bellevue, London, Cambridge, Toronto and Split, ShortTermRentalz reported on 14 September 2020, a month after the company said up to 25 percent of its global workforce would be laid off. ShortTermRentalz