The Threat of Short-Term Rentals to Housing
Aline Cruvinel and Murray Cox
A Critical Perspective on Airbnb’s Global Expansion
Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung New York is pleased to support “The Threat of Short-Term Rentals to Housing” by Inside Airbnb, a timely contribution to the struggle for housing justice. Grounded in extensive global data, the report exposes how digital platforms have accelerated the financialization and commodification of housing, transforming homes into profit-generating assets at the expense of communities. By documenting the expansion of unregulated, commercial short-term rentals across more than 200 countries, it highlights their role in driving up rents, deepening inequality, and displacing working-class residents. At a moment of intensifying housing crises worldwide, this research underscores the urgent need for democratic regulation and policies that defend housing as a human right rather than a vehicle for speculation.
