Airbnb rentals link to increase in London crime, study suggests [Video]

Larger numbers of Airbnb properties are associated with more robberies, burglaries, theft and violence in London, research suggests.

The study, led by Cambridge University, indicated that a 10% increase in active Airbnb rentals in London would correspond to an additional 1,000 robberies per year across the city, above 2018 levels when the study data ends.

Researchers used crime statistics from the Home Office and Greater London Authority.

They analysed these alongside data from AirDNA, a site that scrapes Airbnb to provide figures, trends and approximate geolocations for the short-term letting market.

It suggested a “positive association” between the number of properties listed as Airbnb rentals and police-reported robberies and violent crimes in London neighbourhoods between 2015 and 2018.

Urban sociologists say the rapid pace at which crime rises in conjunction with new rentals suggests that the link is related more to opportunities for crime, rather than loss of cohesion within communities – although …