Revealed: Bucharest tourists hiring rentals that could collapse in an earthquake
Data reveals that over 200 illegal holiday rentals in Bucharest are operating in buildings at high risk of collapse during an earthquake. Despite Romanian laws banning such rentals in seismically vulnerable structures, platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com continue to list them.
Why it matters
It highlights a significant public safety risk and the failure of digital platforms to enforce local safety regulations.
Experts believe a major earthquake in Bucharest is inevitable and warn of unsafe building stock. Photograph: Universal History Archive Experts believe a major earthquake in Bucharest is inevitable and warn of unsafe building stock. Photograph: Universal History Archive Romania Revealed: Bucharest tourists hiring rentals that could collapse in an earthquake Exclusive: More than 200 illegal holiday properties found in buildings at the highest level of seismic risk
Prefer the Guardian on Google Tourists in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, are staying in illegal accommodation listed on Airbnb and Booking.com in buildings considered so seismically vulnerable they could collapse in the event of a major earthquake, according to exclusive data shared with the Guardian.
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