Airbnb
Flagged · AvoidThe short-term rental marketplace operating in nearly every country, credited with disrupting the hotel industry and notorious for reducing housing supply and driving up rents in cities around the world.
Last updated July 6, 2026
↓ Skip to 3 ethical alternativesReasons to avoid
Issues span:ConsumerUrban ImpactHuman Rights
- A 2020 study found that a 1% increase in Airbnb listings was associated with one-fifth of rent growth in U.S. cities, as commercial hosts convert long-term housing into short-term rentals. New York City passed a strict registration law in 2023 specifically designed to stop landlords from converting residential apartments into tourist accommodations.
- New York City's Local Law 18, which took effect in September 2023, required all Airbnb hosts to register with the city and live in the property during guest stays. The law was specifically designed to stop commercial operators who had converted thousands of residential apartments into unregistered short-term hotels.
- The FTC finalized a rule in December 2024 requiring Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms to disclose total booking costs upfront, after more than 60,000 consumer complaints about cleaning fees and service charges that appeared only at the end of checkout. The agency said the practice made it nearly impossible for consumers to compare prices accurately.
- Airbnb's own Project Lighthouse data, released in 2022, found that guests perceived to be Black were accepted for bookings at a 91.4% rate compared to 94.1% for guests perceived to be white. The company acknowledged the disparity had persisted despite six years of anti-discrimination efforts.
- Barcelona announced in June 2024 that it will ban all 10,101 licensed short-term rental apartments by 2028 and return them to the long-term housing market. The city's mayor cited rents rising 68% over the past decade as residents were priced out by landlords converting homes to Airbnb listings.
- An NBC News investigation found that at least 19 Airbnb guests died from carbon monoxide poisoning over 10 years, despite a 2014 public promise by the company to require hosts to confirm that detectors were installed. As of 2023, Airbnb had still not made carbon monoxide detectors mandatory.
- A Guardian investigation published in February 2025 found 350 Airbnb listings in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Airbnb reversed a 2018 pledge to remove these listings after legal pressure from settler hosts, and has since refused to disclose how much of its profits it has donated to offset the activity.
Ethical alternatives
Common Questions
- Is Airbnb ethical?
- Research found a 1% increase in Airbnb listings was associated with one-fifth of rent growth in U.S. cities, and Barcelona cited 68% rent increases over a decade when announcing a ban on all 10,101 licensed short-term rentals. An NBC News investigation also found at least 19 Airbnb guests died from carbon monoxide poisoning over 10 years, despite a 2014 pledge to require detectors.
- Why are people boycotting Airbnb?
- The most common reasons are housing displacement and rent inflation caused by landlords converting residential apartments to tourist accommodations. Hidden fees exposed only at checkout triggered over 60,000 consumer complaints and an FTC rule, and Airbnb has listed properties inside illegal Israeli settlements despite a prior pledge to remove them.
- What are the best ethical alternatives to Airbnb?
- Fairbnb is a worker-owned cooperative where 50% of fees fund local community projects. For affordable social stays, Hostels via Hostelworld don't displace residents. Home Exchange lets you swap homes with other travelers with no money changing hands and no displacement at all.