airbnb

National

Airbnb Cuts 1,900 Jobs, 25% Of Its Workforce, As Pandemic Freezes Travel

6:07pm May 05, 2020

by Bobby Allyn

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky described the global pandemic as the "most harrowing crisis of our lifetime" and said the coronavirus has cut the company's anticipated revenue in more than half.

Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky told NPR he is "very confident" the company can still go public in 2020 despite the coronavirus upending the travel and hospitality industry.

Economy

For Airbnb, 2020 Was Supposed To Be A Banner Year. Then The Pandemic Hit

9:50pm April 28, 2020

by Bobby Allyn

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky tells NPR that he expects his company to survive the coronavirus pandemic by emphasizing cleanliness, and acknowledging that travel is likely changed forever.

Queue Listen Now

The economic rescue package passed by the Senate this week would let gig workers and other self-employed people seek unemployment benefits they wouldn't normally qualify for.

Economy

Gig Workers Would Get Unemployment Safety Net In Rescue Package

8:19am March 27, 2020

by Shannon Bond

Uber drivers, Airbnb hosts and other gig workers who have lost their livelihoods because of the coronavirus pandemic would get some relief under the proposed new $2 trillion federal rescue package.

Queue Listen Now

Long-term stays are a growing part of Airbnb's business. In August, the company announced it was buying Urbandoor, which helps people find apartments for extended stays. And Airbnb says these longer stays are a big part of its future.

National

'Wow, You're Using The Kitchen Again': The Irritations, Perks Of Longer Airbnb Stays

4:27pm December 18, 2019

by Peter Talbot

Airbnb is known for offering short stays in someone else's home, but now more people are using it for a month or more. Those longer stays can bring frustrations and weirdness.

Entrepreneur Ulrik Binzer is helping more than 300 cities and towns in the U.S. and Canada enforce rules for short-term rentals.

National

This Digital Sheriff Helps Cities Wrangle Airbnb Rules

8:42am August 28, 2019

by Chris Arnold

Cities are struggling to enforce rules around everything from problem party houses to investors pushing up housing costs. An entrepreneur is helping local officials deal with these short-term rentals.

Queue Listen Now

Marriott International's Homes & Villas home-rental initiative offers luxury properties in 100 markets. It's an example of how the hotel and short-term home-rental businesses are converging.

Staying At A Hotel Or An Airbnb? The Lines Are Blurring

4:55pm May 02, 2019

by Yuki Noguchi

Consumers want more options than the standard queen room. That's driven hotel chains into the home-rental business, while Airbnb is looking to make inroads into the hotel business.

Queue Listen Now

Some residents of the Israeli settlement Eli, shown here in 2016, have rented out properties there using Airbnb.

World News

Airbnb Reverses Plan To Remove Israeli Settlement Listings

11:05am April 10, 2019

by Cat Schuknecht

On Tuesday, the company said it will allow listings in the occupied West Bank, and will donate all the money it makes from those properties to non-profit humanitarian aid organizations.

Some residents of the Israeli settlement Eli, shown here in 2016, have been renting out properties there using Airbnb.

World News

Airbnb Plans To Remove Listings In Israeli Settlements

8:19pm November 19, 2018

by Merrit Kennedy

Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin described it as a "disgraceful surrender," while senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat called it an "initial positive step."

Godwin Ndosi rents out rooms at his parents' house to guests around the world through websites like Airbnb. He's standing with one of his international visitors.

Whatever Happened To ... The Airbnb 'Superhost' From Tanzania?

8:45am September 02, 2017

by Malaka Gharib

After Godwin Ndosi found success renting out his family's house to tourists, he vowed to expand his business and go to grad school. Did he stick with the plan?

National

Airbnb Settles Suit With San Francisco, Aims To Smooth Host Registration

5:24pm May 01, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

The short-term rental company has had an occasionally fraught relationship with its city of origin. But this lawsuit — which was joined by HomeAway — ended in an agreement lauded Monday by both sides.