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UK: A joint study by the University of Cambridge and the University of Pennsylvania has identified a perceived correlation between rising numbers of short-term rental listings on Airbnb and higher rates of crimes such as burglaries and street robberies in London.
The work, which appears in Criminology, analysed an association between the number of rental properties listed on Airbnb and robberies and violent crimes reported to police in London over a three-year period between January 2015 and March 2018. The findings suggested that a ten per cent rise in active Airbnb rentals in the capital would translate to an additional 1,000 robberies a year.
Statistics released by the UK Home Office and Greater London Authority for six categories of crime [robbery, burglary, theft, anti-social behaviour, violence and bodily harm] were mapped onto LSOAs populated with AirDNA’s data.
Analysing all types of listings on Airbnb in London, the link between active listings and crime was mostly attributable to entire properties [as opposed to spare or shared rooms] and robbery and burglary were the most highly associated crimes, followed by theft and violence.
Lanfear and Kirk said that they extensively stress-tested the connection between Airbnb listings and London crime rates, including factoring in “criminogenic variables” such as property prices, police stops, the regularity of police patrols and even football matches.
Eventually, the researchers concluded that the pace at which crime rises in London in conjunction with new rental listings appearing on Airbnb suggested that the link can be attributed more to “opportunities for crime” than “loss of cohesion within communities”, despite both being likely contributing factors.
While Airbnb now has more than five million hosts on its platform, as per its most recent earnings reports, it is estimated that some 4.5 million guests stayed in a property booked through the platform in London during the three-year period addressed during the study.
A similar peer-reviewed study, published three years ago in the journal PLOS ONE and conducted by Northeastern University in Boston, USA, analysed the veracity of news reports linking short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb with violent crime, using data gathered between 2011 and 2017.
After facing increased scrutiny in recent years due to a series of high-profile incidents of anti-social behaviour at its listings, Airbnb has taken steps to prevent crime and increase safety and security for its hosts and guests. This includes blocking parties and introducing mandatory ID verification checks for reservations.
Last week, Airbnb also partnered with Women’s Aid, a charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children, to launch a pilot that will provide emergency accommodation to domestic abuse survivors in England.
