Tag Archives: Airbnb

City Council in London, Ontario recently decided to explore their options for regulating “short-term rentals” arranged through companies such as Airbnb, HomeAway, etc. The motion was brought forward by Councillor Anna Hopkins, who is concerned about (a) complaints from residents about short-term-renters’ noisy parties, and (b) “the role those short-term rentals have on taking potential long-term housing options out of the market.” Hopkins is concerned (video 1:31:27)...

Disruption is either the gospel or the monster of the new millennium, depending which side of the trade you’re on. Every technology company worth its salt is aiming to disrupt something, and enough of them are succeeding that many conventional businesses face an existential threat. Why get a hotel room when you can rent a house or apartment on Airbnb? Why wait for a taxi when an Uber will come at the touch of a button? Why employ humans when there are faster, more precise robots?   But...

It’s not that the sharing economy itself is a new idea. Monasteries loaned books to the public in the Middle Ages, farmers have shared tools and labor for centuries, and the first known car rental service popped up in 1904. What is new is how quickly an extremely varied set of companies built around sharing, renting, collaborating, and accessing items on-demand are growing, thanks in large part to the proliferation of smartphones. There are 44 privately held sharing-oriented businesses that...