Short-term rentals as a new urban frontier – evidence from European cities

Papers in this special issue offer a wide range of political economy and sociological perspectives to explain the development impacts short-term rentals (STRs) European cities. Empirically, they provide insights regarding STR providers, socio-spatial impacts, regulation. Authors reveal professionalization sector vis-à-vis connection between STRs wider financialization housing. are predominantly supplied by professional property managers as well middle-class individuals for which renting on digital platforms is their main activity. Furthermore, increasing hosts intrinsic competition among them largely stimulated business model has progressively favoured operators. Understanding how shaped platform capitalism helps market why current regulations have not mitigated such impacts. In terms contributions document processes displacement, gentrification, penetration visitors neighbourhoods experienced residents process loss dispossession. However, due lobbying campaigns operators industry players, regulation led legitimization new rather than limitation Therefore, challenges use ‘sharing economy' ‘peer-to-peer platforms’ analytical categories, and, instead, provides evidence should be seen part expansion capitalism, consolidating neoliberal financialized urban paradigm.