Airbnb launches new tools for cities to regulate short-term rentals

Cities can now access greater data insights and new instruments to help them enforce their short-term rental laws through an update of Airbnb’s City Portal.

New features provide city halls and tourism officials with the metrics on the number of guests in a given month, aggregated insights into where guests are travelling from, survey data on the average amount an Airbnb guest spends per day, and local business recommendations from hosts, among others.

“Not only do these data points help cities better understand travel trends in their jurisdiction, but they also help cities make more informed decisions about short-term rentals that balance the benefits of home sharing with concerns they hear from their constituents,” an Airbnb spokesperson told Cities Today.

Short-term rental pushback

Many cities across the world are facing pressure from residents to increase housing availability and affordability and to reduce the number of short-term lets available.

Short-term rentals can reduce the availability of long-term rental housing, driving up rents and making it harder for residents to find affordable housing. And they can disrupt the fabric of residential neighbourhoods by bringing in a revolving door of tourists, impacting the sense of community and changing the character of neighbourhoods.

Airbnb says the new portal is part of its efforts to work collaboratively with cities to balance the benefits of home sharing with the needs of communities. Through the updated portal, those jurisdictions with applicable short-term rental laws can use it to search for listings in their registration system and take action on listings they believe are in violation of local regulations.

In addition, the company has has launched the Airbnb Housing Council in the US to identify solutions to housing affordability challenges in partnership with housing experts, elected officials, and academic institutions.

“We’ve also added two new tools to help cities engage with local Airbnb Hosts and encourage responsible hosting practices,” added the spokesperson. “Specifically, governments can use the portal to find their local host club. They are a great way to engage, including collecting their feedback on short-term rental regulations and to discussing issues related to short-term rentals in their community.”

Launched in 2020 with 18 partners, the portal has since expanded to include 430 cities around the world.

The spokesperson concluded: “One of the reasons we spent the past few years gathering feedback from City Portal users is so we can continue improving this technology for cities to help ensure home sharing strengthens communities.”

Image: Airbnb