Number of Airbnb listings in selected European cities 2023
As of December, 2023, there were over 90 thousand listings for room and apartment rentals in London on the Airbnb website, the highest of any other major European city. Airbnb listings were also high in Paris, Rome and Madrid. Paris accounted for around 74 thousand listings, while Rome and Madrid had over 29 and 25 thousand, respectively.
Controversy of Airbnb in Europe
Airbnb has become an increasingly popular option for tourists looking for local accommodation. Visitors are attracted to using Airbnb properties instead of hotels and other traditional travel accommodation mainly due to cheaper prices, but also for the location, and to gain an authentic experience. However, the site is facing ongoing legal problems, with some destinations moving to ban or restrict rentals from the site due to them worsening housing problems and undermining hotel regulations. Many European cities, including Amsterdam and Paris, have placed limits on the length of rentals, and others such as Barcelona have introduced strict regulations for hosts.
The rise of Airbnb
Airbnb is one of the most successful companies in the global sharing economy. The company was founded in San Francisco, California in 2008, after being conceived by two entrepreneurs looking for a way to offset their high rental costs. Airbnb was developed as an online platform for hosts to rent out their properties on a short-term basis. It now competes with other online travel booking websites including Booking.com and Expedia.
