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HOTREC ‘MEAL-SHARING’ PLATFORM POLICY PAPER – MAY 2018
Home Restaurants: Key
Policy Considerations
04
The rapid development of the ‘collaborative’ economy and the diverse nature of activities that coincide with those offered by the regulated
sectors of the economy, and those offered through ‘collaborative’ economy platforms has opened up a wide legal grey area in a wide range
of sectors. In this grey area lie critical, unresolved concerns about public safety, community cohesion and fiscal accountability.
On the assumption that rentals of private residences via ‘collaborative’ economy platforms would have little impact on the accommodation
market, or on the life of their neighbourhoods, cities across Europe waited until too long to bring regulations up to date. Many of these cities
are now fighting a rearguard action against the growth of a sector which has distorted the property market, had a negative impact on the
lives of local residents, and expanded to such a scale that commercial property owners have bypassed those regulations created to keep
the public safe and ensure that businesses pay their fair share of tax.
For this reason it is important to have a clear understanding of the scale of growth and the policy implications of the emergence of the
home restaurant. The following list provides an overview of all the areas of government policy which the home restaurant touches upon,
to a greater or lesser extent:
On the basis that food preparation and consumption takes place in a private residence, there are some areas on this list which require
more urgent attention than others. The following list of key policy considerations has been compiled following a consultation with HOTREC
members, a review of government policy reports and media articles relating to the emergence of the home restaurant. In the interests
of consistency, it has also been aligned with HOTREC’s policy concerns relating to the ‘collaborative’ economy and the accommodation
sector.