Two weeks ago, the Barcelona City Hall organised a public hearing on the future of tourism in Barcelona. Around 100 members of the Airbnb community attended – regular, local people who make a little extra money by sharing their homes with respectful guests from around the world.

They shared personal stories about home sharing and how the money they make helps them to stay in Barcelona and afford living costs. They also described how they provide guests with authentic travel experiences, helping visitors skip the regular tourist traps in favour of the real Barcelona – living like a local in the homes of local residents, shopping at local businesses and eating in local restaurants.

City Hall listened to these accounts and called on the regional government to embrace home sharing. Felip Puig, Catalonia’s Minister for Enterprise, also said recently that he would like to see Barcelona embrace home sharing. And today, a special committee from the Parliament of Catalonia is busy speaking to members of the sharing economy before making recommendations on future rules for home sharing.

This is encouraging news for Airbnb hosts across Barcelona. They care deeply about their city and have long campaigned to be part of its future. They are delighted to have the opportunity to help shape future laws that will embrace home sharing and mark their home city world leader for innovation.

We are grateful that the authorities in Barcelona and across Catalonia have taken the time to listen to our community and have given such careful consideration to their stories. They want to make Barcelona a better place to live and visit and are the best advocates for this wonderful, historic city.

More and more cities across the world are embracing home sharing and we are delighted that Barcelona wants to join them. We look forward to working with everyone there on fair rules that support local residents and give Barcelona an opportunity to be a world leader for innovative tourism.

 

Notícies des de Barcelona

Fa dues setmanes, l’Ajuntament  de Barcelona va organitzar una audiència pública sobre el futur del turisme a Barcelona. Van assistir a l’acte al voltant de 100 membres de la comunitat d’Airbnb, barcelonins i barcelonines que comparteixen la seva llar amb hostes respectuosos de tot el món i guanyen així uns diners extra.

Allà van compartir històries personals sobre què significa per a ells compartir la seva llar i sobre com els diners que guanyen els ajuden a afrontar el cost de vida de la ciutat. També van explicar com ofereixen experiències de viatge úniques als hostes, tot ajudant-los a evitar les típiques trampes turístiques i a descobrir la Barcelona de debò, a viure com un barceloní més a casa dels qui millor coneixen la ciutat, a comprar a les botigues de barri i a menjar al bar de la cantonada.

Els representants de l’ajuntament van escoltar aquestes explicacions i van demanar al Govern el reconeixement del home sharing. Felip Puig, conseller d’Empresa i Ocupació, també va dir recentment que li agradaria que es regularitzés la situació d’aquestes pràctiques a Barcelona; actualment, una comissió d’estudi  del Parlament de Catalunya ja està parlant amb membres de l’economia col·laborativa abans de fer recomanacions sobre les normes  que han de regir el home sharing en el futur.

Tot això són bones notícies per als amfitrions d’Airbnb que resideixen a Barcelona, persones que s’estimen la seva ciutat i que ja fa temps que participen per formar part del seu futur. Persones que estan encantades de tenir l’oportunitat d’ajudar a donar forma a la regulació que reconeixerà la pràctica de compartir casa i que de ben segur convertira la seva ciutat en líder mundial en termes d’innovació.

Agraïm a les autoritats de Barcelona i també a les de Catalunya que hagin dedicat el seu temps a la nostra comunitat i que hagin escoltat amb tanta atenció les seves històries particulars. Sabem que la nostra comunitat vol fer de Barcelona una ciutat millor per viure-hi i per visitar-la, i que ningú millor que ells defensarà els interessos d’aquesta gran ciutat.

Cada cop més ciutats del món estan donant la benvinguda  al home sharing i estem molt contents que Barcelona vulgui esdevenir-ne una. Esperem poder seguir treballant amb tots els actors implicats per desenvolupar unes normes justes que ajudin  els veïns de Barcelona i donin a la ciutat l’oportunitat d’estar a l’avantguarda de les formes de turisme més innovadores.

 

Novedades desde Barcelona

Hace dos semanas, el Ayuntamiento de Barcelona celebró una audiencia pública sobre el futuro del turismo en la ciudad. Alrededor de 100 miembros de la comunidad de Airbnb asistieron al acto: vecinos de diferentes barrios que comparten su hogar con huéspedes respetuosos de todo el mundo para conseguir un dinero extra.

Contaron historias personales sobre lo que significa para ellos esta actividad y explicaron cómo el dinero que ganan les ayuda a afrontar el coste de la vida en la ciudad. También hablaron sobre el tipo de experiencia que proporcionan a sus huéspedes, muy alejada de la oferta turística habitual. Su objetivo es hacer que los viajeros descubran Barcelona con otros ojos y que eviten los lugares más abarrotados. En definitiva: que vivan la ciudad como si fueran un habitante más de la mano de los barceloneses, que son quienes mejor la conocen, comprando en comercios locales y comiendo en restaurantes del barrio.

Los representantes del ayuntamiento escucharon atentamente cada una de las intervenciones y pidieron al gobierno autonómico que apoye esta iniciativa. Felip Puig, Consejero de Empresa y Empleo de la Generalitat de Cataluña, también señaló en unas declaraciones recientes que le gustaría que se regularizaran este tipo de prácticas en Barcelona; actualmente, una comisión de estudiodel Parlament de Catalunya ya está hablando con miembros activos de la economía colaborativa antes de aportar sus recomendaciones sobre las normas que han de regir el home sharing en el futuro .

Son muy buenas noticias para los anfitriones de Airbnb en Barcelona, personas  implicadas con su ciudad y que ya hace tiempo que participan  paraformar parte de su futuro. Personas que están encantadas de ayudar a dar forma a la regulación que reconocerá  la práctica de compartir casa  y que seguro convertirán a su ciudad en líder mundial de la innovación.

Agradecemos a las autoridades tanto de Barcelona como  de Cataluña que hayan dedicado su tiempo a nuestra comunidad y que hayan escuchado con tanta atención sus historias particulares. Sabemos que nuestra comunidad quiere hacer de Barcelona una ciudad mejor para vivir y para visitar, y que nadie defenderá mejor que ellos los intereses de esta granciudad.

Cada vez más ciudades de todo el mundo están dando la bienvenida al home sharing: nos alegra mucho que Barcelona quiera unirse a la lista. Esperamos seguir trabajando con todos los actores implicados para desarrollar unas normas justas que apoyen a los vecinos de Barcelona  y den a la ciudad la oportunidad de situarse en la vanguardia de las formas de turismo más innovadoras.

Here at Airbnb, we are having conversations with governments across the world on the benefits of home sharing. Everyday, we see how it is making cities better places to live and visit, and helping regular people to make a little extra income and pay the bills. More and more cities are embracing home sharing and implementing progressive laws that back local residents and support innovation.

Today, we are sharing good news from Portugal where the government has introduced new, common sense tourism laws that make it easier for local residents to share their homes. The new move clarifies that all Portugal residents can share their homes and introduces new smart and streamlined regulations that will apply consistently across the country.

Under the new streamlined rules:

• Portugal residents are free to share their homes with guests from around the world.

• Regulations on home sharing will apply consistently across the country, putting an end to uncertainty for hosts about what actions are permitted where.

• Taxes that apply to home sharing are clearer and easier to pay to the government.

Adolfo Mesquita Nunes, the Secretary of State for Tourism in Portugal, described home sharing as “…a phenomenon that is here to stay and one that is not for the Government to halt or limit”. Such progressive thinking will allow more people to experience this great country and support residents across Portugal.

Portugal is an increasingly popular destination for tourists from across the world. Turismo de Portugal reports that the number of overnight guests who visited between January and July 2014 is up 11.6 per cent on the same period last year. The World Travel and Tourism Council now predicts that by 2024 the industry should account for 20 per cent of jobs in Portugal, 13 per cent of investment and 21 per cent of exports and services income.

We are delighted that Portugal has joined a growing list of destinations across the world that are embracing home sharing. We look forward to continuing to work with other destinations around the world on fair rules for home sharing.

 

Portugal reformula leis do turismo para dar as boas-vindas à partilha de casas

Na Airbnb, estamos a dialogar com governos de todo o mundo sobre as vantagens da partilha de casas. Todos os dias vemos como esta partilha torna as cidades mais apelativas, tanto para viver como para visitar, dando às pessoas a possibilidade de receber algum rendimento extra para ajudar a pagar as contas. Cada vez mais as cidades apoiam a partilha de casas e começam a implementar leis progressistas que apoiam os habitantes locais e fomentam a inovação.

Hoje, temos boas notícias para partilhar sobre Portugal. O Governo aprovou novas leis do turismo que facilitam a partilha de casas por habitantes locais. Esta nova medida vem confirmar que todos os habitantes de Portugal podem partilhar as suas casas, e introduz novos regulamentos inteligentes e simplificados que serão aplicados de forma consistente em todo o país.

Sob as novas regras simplificadas:

• Os residentes de Portugal podem partilhar as suas casas com hóspedes de todo o mundo.

• Os regulamentos sobre a partilha de casa serão aplicados de forma consistente em todo o país, eliminando as incertezas dos anfitriões sobre que ações são permitidas em que locais.

• Os impostos aplicáveis à partilha de casa são agora mais claros e mais fáceis de pagar ao Governo.

Adolfo Mesquita Nunes, Secretário de Estado do Turismo em Portugal, descreve a partilha de casa como “…um fenómeno que veio para ficar e que não cabe ao Governo travar nem limitar”. Este tipo de pensamento progressista irá permitir que mais pessoas experienciem este país maravilhoso, e irá apoiar os habitantes de todo o país.

Portugal é cada vez mais um dos destinos mais procurados pelos turistas de todos os cantos do mundo. O Turismo de Portugal relata que o número de hóspedes que pernoitou no país entre janeiro e julho de 2014 aumentou 11,6 por cento comparativamente ao mesmo período do ano anterior. O Conselho Mundial de Viagens e Turismo prevê que até 2024 esta indústria venha a representar 20 por cento dos empregos em Portugal, 13 por cento do investimento e 21 por cento dos rendimentos provenientes de exportações e prestação de serviços.

Estamos muito felizes por Portugal se ter juntado a uma lista de países que abraça a partilha de casas. Continuamos empenhados em trabalhar com outros destinos de todo o mundo para definir regras justas para a partilha de casas.

We regularly share stories on how home sharing is a financial lifeline for countless families living in some of the greatest – but most expensive – cities in the world. Not only is it helping them to afford rising living costs, it is helping them to stay in their homes and the cities they love.

Today, we are highlighting data from independent research that says that the sharing economy has a particularly positive effect on people with lower incomes.

The research, which was conducted by New York University professor Arun Sundararajan and research scientist Samuel Fraiberger, assessed data from peer-to-peer car rental website Getaround and looked at trends they believe to apply across the sharing economy. They highlighted three different areas where they believe the sharing economy benefits low income families:

• Greater inclusion – those who cannot afford to own their own assets can now afford to access these through peer-to-peer marketplaces.

• More benefits, lower costs – Some move from being owners to being non-owner renters, realizing ownership cost savings, gains from greater usage efficiency and higher quality consumption.

• Facilitating ownership – In some cases, it makes sense for families to own a particular good, but high costs put ownership out of reach. Thanks to the sharing economy, some lower income consumers are able to purchase goods with the income they can earn through peer-to-peer marketplaces.

The report concludes that:

“…peer-to-peer rental marketplaces have a disproportionately positive effect on lower-income consumers across almost every measure. This segment is more likely to switch from owning to renting, provides a higher level of peer-to-peer marketplace demand, is more likely to contribute to marketplace supply, and enjoys significantly higher levels of surplus gains. We highlight this finding because it speaks to what may eventually be the true promise of the sharing economy, as a force that democratizes access to a higher standard of living.”

Sundararajan and Fraiberger close their report by saying: “Our hope is that our economic findings will inform policy makers as they formulate appropriate regulatory policy for this increasingly important part of the economy.”

We agree – and are pleased that more and more cities across the world are implementing progressive laws that support home sharing and the sharing economy. We look forward to working with everyone on fair rules for home sharing that support regular, local people.

The Former President of Berlin’s constitutional court today described the state’s housing law as “flawed and ill-conceived”. In a 170-page legal paper that was released this morning, Professor Dr. Helge Sodan set out why the law – which makes it difficult for regular people to share their homes – is unconstitutional, unreasonable and not fit for purpose. The paper was jointly commissioned by Airbnb, ApartmentAllianz, Housetrip and Wimdu

After thoroughly reviewing the new law, Sodan said:

“The Berlin housing law is flawed and ill-conceived. According to one study, the proportion of housing units available for short-term rentals in Berlin accounts for only 0.2% of the total housing stock. The benefits to the public of the new law do not outweigh the burden imposed on hosts. It is also unreasonable that the new law limits the constitutionally guaranteed trust in hosts to use their properties as they see fit.”

He goes on to explain how such an important law that compromises the constitutional rights of local residents should never have been delegated to the city authorities.

You can read more about Prof. Dr. Helge Sodan’s findings here.

We first wrote about this legislation back in 2013, when parliament approved a housing bill that introduced confusing rules on home sharing. These had serious implications for regular people in Berlin for whom home sharing is a financial lifeline. For them, having the opportunity to share their home with respectful guests from around the world is helping them to afford living costs and to stay in their homes.

Berlin residents aren’t the only ones seeing the benefits of home sharing. More and more cities across the world are embracing home sharing and implementing progressive laws that allow local residents to share their homes. And we know home sharing is helping more families pay the bills and isn’t having a negative impact on the availability of housing.

This was confirmed by housing expert Daniel Hofmann, who we commissioned to conduct a study on the effects of Airbnb on the availability of housing in Berlin. He found that only 0.06% of housing units in Berlin are booked for more than 120 days a year through Airbnb.

“The tiny fraction of homes listed on Airbnb is far too small to have any significant impact on the availability of housing in Berlin, ” Hofmann said.

We hope policy makers in Berlin will look again at the housing law in Berlin and its implications for regular people who want to occasionally share their home and the city they love with respectful guests from around the world. Berlin is one of the world’s great cities and we hope it will join the growing list of communities that are supporting innovation and embracing home sharing.

 

Ehemaliger Richter des Verfassungsgerichtshofes schaltet sich beim Berliner Wohnungsrecht ein

Der ehemalige Präsident des Verfassungsgerichtshofes des Landes Berlin hat das Verbot der Zweckentfremdung von Wohnraum des Landes Berlin heute als “nicht hinreichend durchdacht und mangelhaft” ” bezeichnet. In einem 170 Seiten langen juristischen Rechtsgutachten, das heute Morgen veröffentlicht wurde, legt Professor Dr. Helge Sodan dar, warum das Gesetz – das es für normale Leute schwierig macht, ihr Zuhause zu teilen – verfassungswidrig, unangemessen und für den Zweck nicht geeignet ist.Das Gutachten wurde von Airbnb, der ApartmentAllianz, Housetrip und Wimdu gemeinsam in Auftrag gegeben.

Nach gründlicher Prüfung des neuen Gesetzes kommt Professor Dr. Sodan zu folgender Einschätzung:

„Das Berliner Zweckentfremdungsrecht ist nicht hinreichend durchdacht und weist gravierende Mängel auf. Einer Studie zufolge macht der Anteil der potentiell rückführbaren Ferienwohnungen nur ca. 0,2 % des Berliner Gesamtwohnungsbestandes aus. Das Maß der die Vermieter von Wohnraum als Ferienwohnung durch das Zweckentfremdungsverbot treffenden schweren Belastungen steht daher in keinem vernünftigen Verhältnis zu den daraus der Allgemeinheit erwachsenden Vorteilen. Die Unzumutbarkeit ergibt sich speziell auch daraus, dass das Berliner Zweckentfremdungsrecht dem verfassungsrechtlich gebotenen Vertrauensschutz zu Lasten betroffener Vermieter nicht hinreichend Rechnung trägt.“

Sodan erklärt weiterhin, dass die Entscheidung über ein so wichtiges Gesetz, das die Grundrechte von Anwohnern beeinträchtigt, niemals in die Hände der Stadtverwaltung hätte gelegt werden dürfen.

Mehr über die Erkenntnisse von Prof. Dr. Helge Sodan findest Du hier.

Wir haben 2013 das erste Mal über diese Gesetzgebung berichtet, als das Parlament einen Gesetzesentwurf verabschiedet hatte, der verwirrende Regeln zum Teilen von privatem Wohnraumbeinhaltete. Die unklaren Regulierungen haben schwerwiegende Folgen für die Berliner, für die das Home Sharing ein wichtiger Zuverdienst ist. Die Möglichkeit, ihr Zuhause mit vetrauenswürdigen Gästen aus der ganzen Welt zu teilen, hilft diesen Menschen, ihren Lebensunterhalt zu finanzieren und in ihren Wohnungen bleiben zu können.

Nicht nur die Berliner erkennen die Vorteile des Homesharings. Immer mehr Länder auf der ganzen Welt setzen sich mit dem Thema Home Sharing auseinander und führen fortschrittliche Gesetze ein, die es Anwohnern erlauben, ihr Zuhause mit anderen zu teilen. Wir wissen, dass Home Sharing Familien hilft, ihre Rechnungen zu bezahlen, und keine negative Auswirkungen auf die Verfügbarkeit von Wohnraum hat.

Dies wurde von dem Wohnuhngsmarkt-Experten Daniel Hofmann von GEWOS bestätigt, den wir damit beauftragt haben,  zu untersuchen, ob das Teilen von Wohnraum negative Auswirkungen auf die Verfügbarkeit von Wohnraum in Berlin hat.. Er hat herausgefunden, dass nur 0,06 % der Wohneinheiten in Berlin für mehr als 120 Tage im Jahr über Airbnb vermietet sind.

“Der Anteil an Wohnungen, die bei Airbnb inseriert werden, ist winzig und somit viel zu klein, als dass dies maßgebliche Auswirkungen auf die Verfügbarkeit von Wohnraum in Berlin haben könnte”, so Hofmann.

Wir hoffen, dass die Entscheidungsträger in Berlin die komplexen und weit gefassten neuen Regulierungen t noch einmal überdenken und sich vor allem mit denAuswirkungen, die das Gesetz auf normale Berliner hat, die ihr Zuhause und die Stadt, die sie lieben, gelegentlich mit respektvollen Gästen aus aller Welt teilen möchten, auseinandersetzen. Berlin ist eine der großartigsten Städte der Welt und wir hoffen, dass es Teil der wachsenden Gemeinschaft von Städten werden möchte, die offen für Innovationen und für Home Sharing sind.

After two years of discussion, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed fair and progressive rules for home sharing last fall. The City is home to countless innovations and technologies that have changed the way we live, work and do business; it only makes sense that San Francisco should be a leader in this new economy.

Unfortunately, the City Planning Department has imposed a series of administrative requirements, many of which are not part of the law, that make following the rules difficult for many Airbnb hosts. Peter Kwan from the Home Sharers of San Francisco outlined the onerous process with this chart:

 

With hosts trying desperately to comply with San Francisco’s month-old home sharing rules, we should be making it easier for hosts to follow the law, not harder. In a letter to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors earlier this week, Kwan outlined common-sense changes to do just that. Here’s the letter:

 

We look forward to working with everyone in San Francisco on some sensible changes to the process as we move forward.

A few months ago, I shared news from an independent report on the UK sharing economy that had been commissioned by Matt Hancock, the UK business minister. It concluded that the UK should aim to be the global leader for the sharing economy and made a number of recommendations for how this could be achieved. This included that sharing economy businesses should come together to form a trade body that sets standards for best practice across the sharing economy.

Today, I’m pleased to announce that Airbnb has joined with other industry leaders to form Sharing Economy UK – a trade body representing the sharing economy and working together establish responsible sharing practices for platforms and consumers.

The aims of SEUK are to:

• Champion the sector – making the UK the global home of the sharing economy

• Ensure best practice – establishing a ‘trust mark’ for responsible sharing practices for both businesses and consumers

• Act as a single voice – recognising the shared challenges facing member businesses and developing innovative responses.

SEUK was launched this morning by the UK Business Minister. He praised the new association, describing it as “…the strong voice for sharing economy businesses, big and small, giving consumers more choice and advancing this new frontier of online businesses”.

You can read more about today’s launch here.

At Airbnb, we have worked hard to develop world leading measures to build trust among our community and to ensure they have safe, enjoyable experiences. These include the £640,000 ($1m) host guarantee, a secure online payment structure, 24/7 customer support and a global trust and safety team. We take this responsibility seriously are are delighted that we can share best practices with other other industry experts and work together on new standards that will benefit everyone in the sharing economy.

Today is an exciting day for the Airbnb community, as we announced that Paris is now the top destination in the world for home sharing.

More than 40,000 Parisians are now opening their homes to respectful guests from around the world. These are regular people who make a little extra cash by sharing their homes with guests who want to experience this truly amazing city by living like a local. There also more Parisians travelling on Airbnb than in any other in any other city in the world.

More than 90 per cent of hosts in Paris have only one listing and more than 70 per cent are outside of the main tourist areas. Not only is this helping regular Parisians to stay in their homes and afford living costs, it is spreading the economic benefits of tourism to the far corners of this great city and helping visitors discover communities beyond the regular tourist hotspots.

In recognition of Paris embracing innovation and hospitality, we are pleased to announce that this year’s Airbnb Open will be held in Paris – the first time it has been held outside of San Francisco, Airbnb’s home city.

The Open is a fantastic event where our global host community can gather in one place and share tips and stories about hosting, hear from hospitality experts and together help shape future innovations in hospitality and travel. Around 6,000 Airbnb hosts from cities across the world are expected to attend the Open, which will take place from November 12-14.

The announcements were made yesterday at the City Hall in Paris by Brian Chesky, the CEO and co-founder of Airbnb, and Bruno Julliard, the First Deputy Mayor of Paris. He welcomed the news, saying:

“We are delighted that they [Airbnb] are continuing to support innovation in Paris by bringing their annual host gathering. This demonstrates the attractiveness of the French capital and its capacity to welcome international innovators.”

You can read more about this here.

Paris is a great example of what can happen when governments embrace innovation and provide clear legal frameworks for home sharing. They are now the world leader for home sharing and we look forward to working closely with the City as we continue our discussions on how we can simplify the collection of tourist taxes for our community.

More and more cities across the world are embracing home sharing and seeing the benefits it brings to hosts, guests and cities. We are proud so many Parisians are enjoying the benefits of this unique travel experience.

 

Earlier this evening, the Nashville Metro City Council enacted clear, fair rules that make it easier for people to share their homes and their city with travelers from around the world. In enacting these new rules of the road, Music City joins the ranks of innovative cities across the world who are embracing the positive impacts of home sharing for neighborhoods and local businesses.

Tonight’s vote comes after months of discussion between policy makers, stakeholders, and the Nashville community – including Airbnb hosts. The new measure clarifies the law to authorize short-term rentals in Nashville, making it possible for hosts to share their home when they’re present and when they’re not. The law also creates a set of simple rules designed to help ensure that guests are safe, community concerns are addressed, and it recognizes the benefits that home sharing brings to the local community.

These new regulations will also help local hosts pay their bills and make ends meet, while providing more unique options for travelers to Nashville. Airbnb guests spend more time and money in the cities they visit than the typical hotel guest, while broadening the impact of tourism to more neighborhoods and small businesses. Nashville joins a quickly growing list of places like Amsterdam, Hamburg, San Francisco, France, and San Jose at the forefront of embracing progressive rules for home sharing.

The world is embracing the incredible benefits the sharing economy provides in empowering individuals and strengthening communities.  As more cities like Nashville choose to embrace the sharing economy, more cities will benefit from the social, financial and other impacts we know our community brings.

We look forward to continued progress in Nashville and other cities around the world to ensure the sharing economy continues to thrive.

Last week, we shared news from Singapore, where the government has asked local residents for their views on home sharing. This is an exciting opportunity for our community to share their stories and explain how home sharing is helping them to stay in their homes, afford rising living costs and prepare for retirement.

Today, we’re highlighting new survey data that shows that Singapore residents believe they should be able to temporarily rent out their homes.

According to a new representative opinion poll of Singapore residents:

• Overall, 72 percent believe that Singaporeans should be allowed to temporarily rent out their homes, and 74 per cent believe this should also apply to spare rooms within a home when the owner is present.

• 68 percent believe that Airbnb is a good idea and 63 per cent believe it is bringing money to local communities who wouldn’t otherwise see it. 70 percent believe Airbnb creates a new and different type of tourism.

• 52 per cent believe that helping people afford to stay in Singapore is a convincing reason to support short-term rentals.

The citywide survey was conducted by David Binder Research at Airbnb’s request from January 30 – February 2, 2015 with a representative sample of 600 Singapore voters. All respondents are residents of Singapore. The margin of error is 4%.

This poll also revealed that the top two concerns for residents of Singapore are rising living costs (28 per cent) and low wages (22 per cent). Our community knows that home sharing can be part of the solution to these issues. They’ve seen how by providing a unique travel experience to respectful guests from across the world, they can make a little extra money that helps them stay in their homes, afford rising living costs and prepare for retirement. This is creating a new and exciting form of tourism that supports local communities and business that haven’t previously benefitted from traditional tourism.

We are pleased that the government is seeking the views of local people on home sharing and that our community has a chance to share their stories. More and more cities are embracing home sharing and implementing progressive laws. We look forward to working with the government in Singapore on rules that make it a better place to live and visit.

Today we are celebrating some good news from London, where the government has just released new details of their proposal to reform 1970s-era legislation about short term rentals in the capital.

More and more cities across the world are embracing home sharing and implementing progressive rules that back innovation and support local residents. San Francisco, San Jose, Paris and Amsterdam are among those that have already done so – and the list is growing.

The policy statement published today confirms that Londoners should be able to share their homes with guests from all over the world – just like residents in the rest of the UK. These reforms will help locals meet the cost of living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. It is good news for our hosts and it is good news for London – which now takes a lead in the global race to embrace the sharing economy.

We know that 40% of our London hosts on Airbnb are self-employed, freelancers or part-time workers, and 30% are entrepreneurs or starting their own businesses. They regularly tell us that the additional income they receive through hosting is helping them to take chances they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.

Economic research has also shown that home sharing is spreading the benefits of traditional tourism across the capital. Airbnb guests eat in local restaurants, shop in local businesses and stay in communities away from the tourism hotspots. They want to live like locals.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis says he believes these proposals will be popular with Londoners. So do we.

Some recent milestones indicate how popular Airbnb has become – we now have more than one million homes listed on Airbnb and more than 30 million people have now travelled with Airbnb across the world. New Year’s Eve was also our biggest night ever, with more than 550,000 people ringing in 2015 by staying in the home of a local.

We want London to be an incredible place to live and to visit. These proposals will allow Londoners the freedom to make some extra cash and pursue new ventures, and will allow guests to benefit from unique accommodation in all corners of this amazing city.