The first Airbnb-style accommodation has been launched in Iran, as the country opens its doors to western firms after the nuclear deal was reached in July, reported the UK's Guardian yesterday.

OrientStay, a Swiss company, began operating two weeks ago. It has 200 flats listed on its website in nine cities that range from around $20 to $330 per night, including in Isfahan, Iran's top tourist destination.

The site helps address a shortage of hotel rooms in the country.

Our concept is to offer foreign tourists an authentic and real experience of Iran. - Mehrzad Khoi, director of OrientStay

"Iran has a total of 1,500 hotels and these days when you want to reserve a room, all of them are full. The country has a lack of accommodation and more foreigners want to visit," the site’s director, Mehrzad Khoi, told the Guardian.

"Above all, our concept is to offer foreign tourists an authentic and real experience of Iran. We want them to see the real people, which is usually the biggest surprise for them," added the French-Iranian businessman.

The site offers an alternative to hotels booked through travel agencies and tour operations. It takes all payment methods, unlike hotels that are unable to accept foreign cards due to banking restrictions.

It operates with permission from the Iranian authorities and only takes booking from incoming tourists, not resident Iranians.

Khoi told the Guardian his company had advertised to find the flats, and those interested in renting out their flats had to apply to the authorities for permission.

The site plans to launch a tour guide service, with tourists from some countries requiring tour guides during their stay.

The news comes just over a week after AccorHotels announced that it was becoming the first international chain to open in Iran. The French group signed a deal to open an Ibis hotel and a Novotel branch near Tehran's international airport in October.