More and more cities in Europe are looking to the European Commission to set new regulations for vacation rental platforms such as Airbnb and booking.com. The cities want those platforms to provide rental addresses with local authorities. The platforms say they're already cooperating but some local officials say the bigger issue is the very future of historic city centers. Al Goodman reports from Madrid.

The Puerta del Sol, the center of Madrid. Like other European cities, its historic setting attracts huge numbers of tourists. Who no longer just stay in hotels. An explosion in holiday apartment rentals, promoted on platforms like Airbnb and booking.com, has prompted a backlash. Now - Madrid, Amsterdam and Paris are among 12 cities joining forces to push the European Commission to further regulate the sector. Madrid's tourism director says holiday rentals should help the cities, but instead sometimes they occupy entire apartment buildings.

MIGUEL SANZ MADRID DIRECTOR OF TOURISM "Because what would be Madrid if no one lived in the city center? What would be Barcelona if no one lived in the city center? Would people like to come to a deserted city center only inhabited by tourists? Probably not."

Yet Victoria Roa says the concentration of holiday rentals is not a problem. Her company manages all ten vacation apartments in this Madrid building. Most clients come from the Airbnb or booking.com platforms.

VICTORIA "For us I would like that everyone that came with us feel like at home."

She supports a single set of European Union rules for vacation rentals but says cities shouldn't regulate too much."

VICTORIA ROA FORYOURENTALS.COM "It's the market you know. And the cities have to move around this new demand. Sometimes office, sometimes residential."

In a statement, Airbnb insisted it's been a good partner, working with more than 300 governments globally on home sharing rules, it says, to spread benefits to owners and their communities.

AL GOODMAN MADRID, SPAIN But the 12 European cities want more regulation, to boost tourism while protecting their cities. Their letter of demands to the European Commission is expected this week.

In Amsterdam, where the cities met earlier this year to discuss regulation, vacation rental users also weighed in.

"I think that from my experience it's ok. I wouldn't change anything by the moment."

"Because it's gotten out of hand with pricing, you can get hotels for cheaper now."

Madrid's tourism director says holiday rentals can help augment the city's 82,000 hotel beds when there's very high demand for certain big events. But not, the cities say, without better regulation. Al Goodman, CGTN, Madrid.