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Airbnb leads online marketplace ranking
Reading Time: 2 minutesWorldwide: Andressen Horowitz’s Marketplace 100 list, a ranking of consumer-facing marketplaces, is full of tech-centred vacation companies. Leading the list is short-term rental leader Airbnb, with the company accounting for 38 per-cent of gross merchandise value of all polled companies. Other companies listed on the ranking include vacation rental management company Vacasa, who clocked in […]
Airbnb expands anti-human trafficking partnership
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Airbnb has announced a renewed effort to combat human trafficking within its platform. The company is expanding its commitment with Polaris, an organisation which combats human trafficking in the US, that it first made in 2018. Nancy McGuire Choi, CEO of Polaris, said: “Human trafficking is an incredibly complex issue that does not lend […]
Mexico City forms committee to regulate rental platforms
Reading Time: < 1 minuteMexico: The Ministry of Tourism in Mexico City, known as Sectur CDMX, is making its first steps to regulate home-sharing platforms such as Airbnb within the municipality. Sectur CDMX head Carlos Mackinlay formed a committee back in October to address the topic of alternative accommodations for tourists in the city, deeming them to threaten Mexico […]
Dublin denies planning permission for short-term lets
Reading Time: 2 minutesIreland: Dublin City council has set significant precedent, by denying a series of short-term lets planning permission for continued operation. Out of 16 properties that applied, the council denied eight applications. The city council says this is leading to a shift in city policy, which would outright prevent operators from running Airbnb units full time […]
Airbnb in legal settlement talks with New York City
Reading Time: < 1 minuteUS: Airbnb is reportedly in talks with New York City to arrange a legal settlement surrounding the disclosure of host information through the home-sharing platform, according to Bloomberg. The legal battles between both parties have been well documented and bitterly disputed in a long-running saga, since New York City Council passed a law in 2018 […]
LA ranks number one in US for short-term rentals
Reading Time: 1 minuteUS: According to research by real estate body CBRE, Los Angeles ranks highest in two core short-term rental statistics. The city was found to have both the highest ranks in number of short-term rentals on the market, as well as the highest ratio of rentals to traditional hotel supply. The information comes from a fourth […]
Airbnb responds to critical Wired UK news articles
Reading Time: 3 minutesUK: Airbnb has responded to two recent articles published in science, technology and culture publication, Wired UK, which reported on an alleged listings scam in London and criticised the platform’s proliferation in the capital. Wired UK digital editor James Temperton’s first piece, entitled “I stumbled across a huge Airbnb scam that’s taking over London”, quoted […]
Airbnb kicks off host registration roadshow in UK cities
Reading Time: 2 minutesUK: Airbnb has kicked off a roadshow in major cities across the UK to consult on proposals for a clear, modern and simple registration system for short-term rentals in collaboration with hosts, communities and politicians. The UK does not currently have a registration scheme for short-term lets, and some local authorities and politicians have stated that […]
Airbnb path to IPO in doubt following $322m net losses
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Airbnb’s plans to go public with an initial public offering [IPO] this year have hit a sticky patch after the company posted net losses of $322 million in the nine-month period leading up to September 2019 after making a $200 million profit a year earlier. The losses were reported by the Wall Street Journal […]
Airbnb signs first experiences partnership in Lithuania
Reading Time: 2 minutesLithuania: After having signed an agreement on automated tax collection earlier this year, Airbnb has signed its first Experiences partnership with Lithuania’s tourism board. This is the first such partnership between an online travel platform and a destination marketing organisation. The aim is to connect travellers to local businesses and culture through the creation of […]