short-term rentals bridge the gap between visiting and settling

The vast majority of Europeans—more than 8 in 10—have experienced a need for flexible housing due to temporary relocation, according to new EU-wide polling commissioned by Airbnb. But the current housing system has a structural gap between visiting and settling, making this temporary housing difficult to find or afford for most. 

Short-term rentals are becoming critical stop-gaps, with a majority viewing them as the most convenient and cost-effective solution for temporary housing needs. People turn to short-term rentals most commonly while searching for long-term housing (27%), for education or studies (24%), for work (24%), for access to medical care (23%) and for vocational training (21%).

“Europe’s housing conversation has a blind spot: the needs that fall between tourism and permanent residence. For millions, temporary housing isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. STRs should be recognised as essential housing infrastructure that support Europe’s workforce, families in transition and those displaced or unhoused. Through  cross-sectoral dialogue and balanced, evidence-based policy, Europe can ensure its cities remain vibrant, inclusive, and accessible for all.”

George Mavros, Head of Government Affairs for the European Union at Airbnb.

Students: Alongside a consistent shortage of student housing, many students arriving in a new city (especially international students) need furnished rentals for shorter transition periods. Short-term rentals, and initiatives such as Airbnb’s “Student Housing Fund” in Berlin, provide crucial temporary accommodation. 

Medical stays: According to researchers in Italy, about 1 million patients (8.8% of total hospital admissions) seek care outside their region of residence each year. This is reflected in the many Airbnb guests across Europe who travel to stay near medical facilities. For example, at the La Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital and Hôpital Necker Enfants near Paris, there are more than 2,200 Airbnb listings within 1 km that welcomed 25,000 guests in 2025. 

Disaster response: Airbnb.org, the independent nonprofit founded by Airbnb, has provided over 1.6 million nights of free, temporary housing to more than 250,000 people since 2020. This includes supporting communities affected by natural disasters—for example, our new partnership with the Fédération nationale des sapeurs-pompiers de France to provide emergency housing to families impacted by the Nils storm. 

Hosting major events: Home sharing enables cities to flexibly expand accommodation capacity during major events without costly, permanent infrastructure investments—as seen during the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, the FIFA World Cup and, more recently, the Milano–Cortina Winter Games. The Paris Olympics were the largest hosting event in Airbnb’s history, with nearly 700,000 guests from 160 countries and regions across the Paris region, and a 35% increase in regional accommodation supply.

Short-term rentals are an economic engine for Europe 

By welcoming over 114 million guest arrivals EU-wide in 2025, hosts on Airbnb helped contribute more than €53.2 billion to the EU’s GDP and supported more than 904,000 jobs.

Hosting on Airbnb is also a vital source of supplemental income for local citizens. According to a survey among hosts in the European Union, the vast majority (80%) rented out just one entire home, and almost half (47%) said the income earned through hosting helped them afford to stay in their home.

Balanced, evidence-based policy is crucial for cities’ future

As the European Commission prepares its Affordable Housing Action Plan, now is the time to look holistically at the challenges facing Europe’s cities. The new Future of Cities Coalition will bring together voices from across sectors to address pressures ranging from housing supply and affordability to the social and environmental impacts of tourism, including the role of short-term rentals.

While short-term rentals play a pivotal role in meeting cities’ flexible housing needs, the evidence suggests their impact on the broader housing market is marginal. In 2025, “entire-home” Airbnb listings (occupied for 120 nights or more) account for only 0.13% of all housing units in the EU. Across all 27 Member States, such listings represent under 1% of the total housing stock. Even in the 10 most populous cities in the EU, the fraction remains on average 0.37%, with only 0.09% in Berlin to 0.65% in Paris.

Vacant housing stock, on the other hand, represents a much larger proportion of the overall housing stock, constituting as much as 1 in every 5 dwelling units across the EU. Collectively, Croatia,  Bulgaria, Greece, Portugal, and Spain have more than 14 million vacant homes – more than 169 times the number of frequently stayed listings on Airbnb.

Read the full report here