New Data Takes Aim at Airbnb ‘Super Hosts’ in Los Angeles and San Francisco
Skift Take
Cracking down on Airbnb "Super Hosts," or those who use the platform on a "professional" full-time basis to operate illegal hotels, is becoming a serious hot button issue. If Airbnb wants to become more widely accepted, it has to assure local and state governments that its platform isn't becoming a front for illegal hotels.
Nearly 84 percent of Airbnb hosts in Los Angeles could have been operating illegal hotels and generating approximately 98 percent, or about $257.6 million, of Airbnb's total $261.7 million in total revenue for the region from October 2014 to September 2015, according to new data released on March 31 by Penn State University's School of Hospitality Management.
The Penn State report derives from a study originally commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), one of the largest U.S. organizations representing hotels, management companies, and other sectors in the hospitality industry. Bearing this in mind, it's worth noting that AH&LA has not been the most impartial organization with regard to discussions about the short-term rental and home-sharing industries. For this study, Penn State looked at numbers from Airdna and its partner, Kalibri Labs, which reviewed Airbnb operators, revenues, and listings for the period from October 2014 to September 2015.
