Approximation to the current situation of the vacation rental

Abstract

For some years now there has been an important discussion on the vacation rental of private homes. Platforms like Airbnb and HomeAway have taken advantage of the growth of the collaborative economy produced after the 2007-2008 crisis. These platforms act as intermediaries between individuals, providing security to the parties. When analyzing the impacts, there are two widely held positions: some consider that it is the destruction of tourist destinations by foreign multinationals, and others consider that it has allowed many people to improve their living conditions, covering an unattended demand. Based on the consultation of the studies and arguments of both parties and available secondary data, several hypotheses can be made: the vacation rent has not increased so much but has become more visible; the rent increases when the hotel supply is exceeded by the demand or when the economic situation turns the hotels in excessively expensive; the owners have opted for the vacation rental for the facilities provided by the platforms, for personal financial problems and to generate income with underutilized real estate. The vacation rental does not seem a negative thing, but when combined with other facts, it has exacerbated existing problems: overcrowding, neighborhood degradation, housing problems, etc.