The Estonian Union of Cooperative Housing Associations has proposed giving apartment associations greater powers to regulate rentals, including the possibility of banning them through a vote of owners.

Such a decision would require support from more than half of both the owners and the co-ownership shares. The union says complaints are increasing, particularly about short-term rental apartments, where frequently changing guests can cause noise, parking problems and disregard rules on waste, smoking and shared property.

Urmas Mardi, a board member and head of the union’s legal department, pointed to New York as an example where cooperative housing boards can have significant influence over who is allowed to live in a building. Economic Affairs Minister Erkki Keldo said the concerns are understandable but warned that restrictions must be considered carefully because private property rights are protected.

Read more: ERR.EE