Illegal short-term rentals, regulatory enforcement and informal practices in the age of digital platforms

This article analyses the challenges of controlling short-term rentals (STR) in an era intermediation by digital platforms, focusing on process regulatory enforcement. Drawing evidence from large European cities, it investigates how public authorities identify and tackle STR deemed illegal, operators illegal seek to escape detection, relationships between city governments platforms The shows what digitalisation ‘platformisation’ do possibility (local) state regulation housing informality illegality context. As have been reluctant release individualised listings local authorities, latter had rely imperfect, ‘DIY’ methods data gathering physical worlds, context attempts regulate for interest objectives such as protection long-term residential stock.