Airbnb

Airbnb faces persistent regulatory pressure because city officials and housing advocates argue that short-term rentals reduce housing supply and push up rents. New York, San Francisco, Barcelona, Paris, and Amsterdam are among markets that imposed caps, licensing rules, or stricter enforcement.

The platform has also drawn criticism over discrimination against Black guests, safety incidents, hidden cameras, and disruptive parties. It competes against hotel chains and booking rivals such as Booking.com and Expedia Group's Vrbo.

Management guided for revenue growth to accelerate to at least low double digits in 2026, with first-quarter revenue of $2.59 to $2.63 billion expected.

Expansion markets are growing at roughly twice the rate of core markets, led by countries such as India, where nights booked rose about 50 percent. A boutique-hotel pilot, scaling of services and experiences, and AI-driven customer support and search round out the growth agenda.

Airbnb earns revenue mainly through service fees charged on each confirmed booking rather than through owning properties. Under the split-fee structure, most hosts pay about 3 percent of the booking subtotal while guests pay roughly 14 to 16 percent.

A host-only single fee of about 15.5 percent applies to hotels, hosts using property-management software, and certain markets. Experiences carry a 20 percent fee and services about 15 percent.

Airbnb operates an online marketplace and app that connects travelers seeking short-term lodging with hosts who rent out homes, apartments, and rooms. It spans more than 9 million active listings across over 220 countries and regions, plus experiences and services.

Hosts list properties ranging from single rooms to whole vacation homes, and guests book through the website or mobile app. It has expanded into curated activities and local services such as private chefs and spa treatments.