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