ABSTRACT
Airbnb is among the fastest growing accommodation companies in the world. When 19-year-old Jacob Lopez traveled overseas to Madrid in July 2015, he anticipated an enjoyable trip and planned to stay at an Airbnb property. The company’s core focus is connecting cost-focused travelers to homeowners that provide lodging solutions in desirable sections of cities that hotels traditionally underserve. Since 2008, Airbnb has enjoyed unmatched growth in the accommodations industry compared to its peers. In only a few years, Airbnb grew from a small start-up to an established company with a market value larger than many of its traditional hotel competitors. A political initiative capable of reducing short-term listings and revenue for Airbnb, Proposition F presented the first significant instance in which Airbnb faced an organized political effort to regulate the company’s business model in its own backyard – San Francisco. Airbnb suggests that guests talk to the host and start a conversation about the upcoming stay.
