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The Sharing Economy and Rentals

Home Sharing: Airbnb and the Housing Debate

Airbnb and similar platforms turned homes into hotels, boosting tourism income but raising rents and prompting bans and rules in some cities.

Homes as hotels.

Scale

Millions of listings worldwide.

Benefits

Extra income for hosts and cheaper options for travellers.

Costs

In popular cities, entire homes turned into rentals reduce supply for locals and raise rents.

Rules

Cities like New York, Barcelona and Amsterdam have limited short-term rentals.

A city crackdown

A city limits short-term rentals to 90 days a year.

Ignoring the effect on neighbourhoods

Residents may bear costs.

Key takeaways
  • Homes are rented to travellers.
  • Hosts earn extra income.
  • Rents can rise.
  • Some cities restrict rentals.
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