The Housing Crisis: When Homes Become Hotels

The Airbnb Effect

Short-term rentals reshape communities:

Paris Reality

• 65,000 Airbnb listings
• Entire apartments: 75%
• Resident displacement accelerating
• Neighborhood transformation

Marais District Study

• 2010: 35% resident-occupied
• 2020: 18% resident-occupied
• Local shops closed: 40%
• Tourist services proliferated

Long-time resident Robert describes the change: "My building had eight families. Now I'm the only permanent resident. Seven Airbnb apartments surround me. I hear suitcase wheels at 3 AM, find drunk tourists in my hallway, can't sleep from parties. This isn't a neighborhood anymore—it's a hotel with corridors."

Policy Responses

Cities attempt regulation:

Paris Measures

• 120-day annual limit
• Registration requirements
• €12,500 fines
• Enforcement challenges persist

Other Approaches

• Barcelona: Airbnb ban attempts
• Venice: Resident exodus continues
• Rural areas: Often welcoming rentals