INFOGRAPHICS. How Airbnb multi-tenants are contributing to the housing crisis in major French cities
On the Boulevard des Italians, in the heart of Paris, the presence of tourists with their suitcases surprises no one. In recent years, travelers have moved into the Haussmann-style apartments along the thoroughfare. These vacationers are now avoiding hotels and have gotten into the habit of renting an apartment online. To do this, they reserve an individual’s vacant accommodation on one of the specialized platforms.
Signs of their increased presence of these properties rented for a short period, small secure black plastic boxes have flourished in the entrances and on the landings. They allow visitors to collect the keys to the apartment. “It’s non-stop“sighs a neighbor, referring to the comings and goings of tourists. “We have been seeing them regularly in the neighborhood for several years now.“notes, resignedly, another neighbor.
In several large cities, Airbnb’s growth has benefited an increasingly commercial offering. Gone are the spare rooms rented three weeks a year, now some of the landlords present on the platforms have become professionals in tourist rental. By making apartments and houses available to tourists for a large part of the year, these rental companies are helping to dry up the real estate market. We are far from “Air mattress” (“airbed” in English) which gives its name to the leading short-term rental company, Airbnb.
This situation particularly affects tourist destinations. Besides Paris, cities like Bordeaux or La Rochelle are affected. These accommodations, which are devoted a large part of the time to vacationers, are properties that no longer allow permanent residents to be accommodated. In his report (PDF) dedicated to housing, the NGO Oxfam noted the“direct impact on the number of available long-term housing units” of these platforms. “It is the most vulnerable who are affected by these crowding out effects, such as students or seasonal workers”explain Sylvain Dejean, economist specializing in digital technology.
There is no precise estimate of the number of these homes which are no longer in the traditional market in France. In Paris, a 2018 Senate report explained that “the Ministry of Territorial Cohesion estimates that the number of homes diverted from the traditional rental stock by irregular rental on Airbnb is close to 20 000″.
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