CityLab Daily: Cities Are Still Struggling to Crack Down on Airbnbs

The popularity of Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms has for years squeezed affordable housing supplies in cities worldwide, prompting a flurry of regulations from local governments. They’ve ranged from mandates requiring hosts to live in their listed property, to outright bans on short-term rentals in private homes.

But enforcement has proven challenging — if not impossible — with hosts finding new ways to bend the rules, and companies declining to share data that could help local lawmakers track down violators. Now, as post-pandemic travel patterns come roaring back, cities are deploying a fresh round of regulations, in hopes of finally outwitting property owners. Today on CityLab: Airbnb Hosts Evade City Crackdowns, From Copenhagen to Catalonia