IFHP Airbnb Lab, Copenhagen, 27 Sept 2016

Airbnb

vs.

Berlin

1.0

2.0

Hi there,

I am Alsino.

@alsinosko

http:// darkbluedata.com

http:// karat.studio

I design maps,

digital interfaces and data stuff

UFOs

Airbnb vs. Berlin

1.0

2.0

Background:

  • Student project at the University of Applied Science, Potsdam, early 2015
  • Storytelling with Data and Design
  • Idea: Find a topic that is of personal interest to us: Lucas and Alsino were looking for a flat at the time in Berlin

"Why don't you just move into one of those Airbnb flats?...They are super easy to get..."

(a friend)

THE QUESTION

Is Airbnb (partly) responsible
for the shortage of affordable housing in Berlin?

THE PROBLEM

Very emotional discussion

Not based on facts

Data?

Results

(what happened earlier...)

11701

AIRBNB LISTINGS

IN BERLIN

104

LISTINGS ON

JUST ONE STREET

AIRBNB HOSTS ARE

IN FOR THE €€€€

REACTIONS:

(18.3.15 17:08 – 50 Minutes after launch)

 

Email from Airbnb:

"Dear students, who is responsible for this data generation and where did you get the data?"

"[...] We would like to do an interview with you about your study. It is pretty much advertising for Airbnb, because we would like to show the situation as it is

(and it's true, the platfom is booming right now). [...]"

(a big German tabloid)

(20.3.15 17:08 – 2 days after launch)

Fast forward: 1 year later

Law against misappropriation of housing space:


- forbidden to temporarily sublet > 50% of flat space

- landlord agreement required

- enforced from 1 May 2016

- fines up to € 100.000 in case of violation

- "fuzzy" legal description: different city districts handle it differently

So, what are the consequences?

Only slight and temporary drop in listings

​(and almost back to pre-law level)

The big "cleaning"

12,352

Airbnb-listings

 

14%

Share commercial flats

 

Current situation: Berlin

 24 September 2016

5,834

Users

 

52%

Share entire homes

13,311

Airbnb-listings

 

3%

Share commercial flats

 

Current situation: Copenhagen

 24 September 2016

10,432

Users

 

79%

Share entire homes

Other German cities?

 24. September 2016

City Airbnb listings % commercial flats*
Munich 8.619 14
Hamburg 5.092 12
Cologne 2.925 20
Hannover 1.855 41
Düsseldorf 1.757 34
Frankfurt 1.190 16
Stuttgart 768 20

*flats by commercial users

A few learnings from the project

Data + visualization

 =

Powerful tools

1. Explore

Data can be hard to get, but essential for an informed debate

2.Debate

Regulation needs to be targeted "well" to address the real issues

3.Act

Thanks!

Airbnb vs Berlin

By alsino

Airbnb vs Berlin

Presentation at the Copenhagen IFHP Lab

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