(Press-News.org) Since its founding in 2008, the short-term homestay platform Airbnb has expanded to 100,000 cities in more than 220 countries, and, according to data from the company, 1.5 billion guests had stayed in Airbnb-listed properties through 2023.
Much of the academic research on Airbnb activity comes from economics and business literature and focuses on housing-supply impacts, says David Kirk, professor of criminology at the University of Pennsylvania. Yet research on neighborhood impacts is limited, and that research neglects the impacts of Airbnb activity on measures of community cohesion and safety.
Kirk teamed with University of Cambridge criminologist Charles C. Lanfear to study the impacts on crime of Airbnb lettings from November 2014 to May 2018 across London, one of the most popular Airbnb markets in the world. Published in the journal Criminology, their research finds that an increase in the number of Airbnbs leads to an increase in robbery, burglary, theft, and violence.
“The explanation has more to do with the altering criminal opportunities in those neighborhoods as opposed to the slow erosion of community cohesion and what criminologists call social control,” Kirk says. Lanfear explains these criminal opportunities by saying, “An Airbnb rental can provide an easy potential victim such as a tourist unfamiliar with the area, or a property that is regularly vacant and so easier to burgle. A very temporary occupant may be more likely to cause criminal damage.”
Their results indicate that each additional active Airbnb is associated with 0.16 thefts, 0.06 violent offenses, 0.04 burglaries, and 0.03 robberies per quarter. While the researchers note that the effect of a single Airbnb on crime is small compared to the effect of one additional bar or fast-food restaurant, for example, the effect is large in the aggregate when considering the tens of thousands of Airbnbs appearing in London in a short period. Kirk and Lanfear estimate that a 10% increase in the volume of London rentals over 2018 levels would yield a 3.1% increase in robberies, or about 1,000 more robberies per year.
“To be fair, Airbnb has taken concerted steps to reduce criminal activity resulting from Airbnb lettings, including background checks on guests and requiring minimum nights of rental on occasions when one-night parties may be tempting to hold,” the researchers say. “The fact that we still find an increase in crime despite Airbnb’s efforts reveals the severity of the predicament induced by the rise of home sharing.”
The study found that the increased crime is consistent with predictions from routine activity theory, meaning that predatory crime rates are driven by the convergence of suitable targets, likely offenders, and the absence of capable guardians rather than social disorganization, meaning a loss of social control resulting from the destabilization of the neighborhood. Thus, their findings provide evidence that crime increases soon after rentals rather than slowly over time.
The authors found their hypotheses that Airbnb activity would be positively associated with different crimes and that the effect on crime would be greater for rentals of entire homes than rentals of rooms to be correct.
They did not, however, find support for their other two hypotheses: that Airbnb activity would decrease neighbors’ ability to control the social behavior of others in the community, and that increased crime would be partly attributable to a decrease in this capacity for social control, known as collective efficacy. Kirk and Lanfear estimated collective efficacy using responses to a public attitudes survey put out by the Mayor of London’s Office for Policing and Crime and the London Metropolitan Police Service.
Their data on Airbnb lettings came from AirDNA, a data analytics company that collects information on the availability and usage of Airbnb properties and distributes it for commercial purposes. Crime data came from the London Datastore and the Home Office’s data portal.
To see if their findings could be due to changes in London neighborhoods other than Airbnbs, the research looked at activity around Premier League stadiums on the days of soccer matches, police stops, and socioeconomic characteristics. But “nothing changed the core finding that Airbnb rentals are related to higher crime rates in London neighborhoods,” Lanfear says.
Kirk says he would expect the same effects on crime from similar platforms like Vrbo. When it comes to different locations, “Replication of our analysis in other contexts, particularly in the United States, would be fruitful to advance work on the mechanisms by which Airbnb facilitates crime.”
Kirk notes that a 2021 study found evidence that increases in Airbnb listings led to more violence in Boston neighborhoods. Commenting that Boston is a mid-sized city and that London may be exceptional due to its large volume of Airbnb lettings, Kirk says he thinks it would be useful to replicate their London study in an average large city in the U.S. or elsewhere.
This study builds on Kirk’s research agenda looking at implications of the sharing economy on criminal activity. Kirk says after looking at the impact of Uber on traffic fatalities and drunk driving, he started wondering whether criminological theories could explain other facets of the modern sharing economy and landed on Airbnb. “I really wanted to test 20th century theories to see if they could do a good job of explaining a 21st century phenomenon,” he says.
David S. Kirk is a professor in the Department of Criminology in the School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.
Charles C. Lanfear is an assistant professor at the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge.
This research is supported by the Leverhulme Trust.
END
Airbnbs associated with more crime in London, new study shows
David Kirk of Penn’s Department of Criminology co-authored a collaborative study finding that an increase in Airbnbs in London led to an increase in robbery, burglary, theft, and violence.
2024-10-28
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
New study finds invasive plants drive homogenization of soil microbial communities across U.S.
2024-10-28
Invasive plants are doing more than just taking over landscapes — they’re also changing the soil beneath them. A new study co-authored by Matthew McCary, assistant professor of biosciences at Rice University, reveals that these species are reshaping soil microbial communities across the U.S., making them more uniform and altering how ecosystems function. The findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Oct. 24, shed light on the far-reaching impacts of invasive plants, which extend beyond what we see above ground.
The ...
Researchers’ new outreach strategy succeeds, sets blueprint for detecting invasive species in Florida
2024-10-28
Invasive species in Florida like Nile monitors and Argentine black-and-white tegus pose a growing threat to the Sunshine State’s environment, economy and public safety. South Florida’s warm climate, disturbed habitats and bustling pet trade have made it a hotspot for these non-native, cryptic reptiles. However, finding these elusive creatures has always been a challenge – until now.
University of Florida researchers are showcasing how a focused outreach initiative in Palm Beach County has led to a successful increase in reports of invasive reptiles in Florida. The findings are documented in the latest study published in Scientific Reports and authored by researchers at UF/IFAS ...
Discovery of critical iron-transport protein in malaria parasites could lead to faster-acting medications
2024-10-28
Malaria kills over 600,000 people a year, and as the climate warms, the potential range of the disease is growing. While some drugs can effectively prevent and treat malaria, resistance to those drugs is also on the rise.
New research from University of Utah Health has identified a promising target for new antimalarial drugs: a protein called DMT1, which allows single-celled malaria parasites to use iron, which is critical for parasites to survive and reproduce.
The results suggest that medications that block DMT1 might be very effective against malaria.
The new results are published in PNAS.
An ironic mystery
Paul Sigala, ...
Risky choices: How US laws affect migrant children’s journeys to border
2024-10-28
U.S. immigration law and the legal categorizations it imposes on migrants shape the journeys of migrant children from Central America as they move through Mexico toward the southern U.S. border, according to a new Yale study.
In the study, sociologist Ángel Escamilla García documents the various hard decisions Central American youth are forced to make during their journeys to maximize their chances of not being deported once they reach the United States. Those choices include concealing sexual assaults, beatings, and other crimes ...
Scientists address risks to supply chain in a connected world
2024-10-28
RICHLAND, Wash.—Scientists are gathering at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory this week for a first-ever conference to consider ways to protect critical systems such as our electrical grid, water treatment plants and financial networks that are vulnerable in new ways.
The Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management Conference, known as CySCRM 2024, is being held on the PNNL campus Tuesday-Wednesday, Oct. 29-30.
It’s a new kind of science meeting, one that scientist Jess Smith and colleagues felt compelled to create as they eye a new kind of risk—a ...
Don’t skip colonoscopy for new blood-based colon cancer screening, study concludes
2024-10-28
Newly available blood tests to screen for colorectal cancer sound far more appealing than a standard colonoscopy. Instead of clearing your bowels and undergoing an invasive procedure, the tests require only a simple blood draw. But are the tests effective?
A study led by researchers at Stanford Medicine concluded that the new tests are ideal for people who shy away from other colorectal cancer screening. However, if too many people who would have undergone colonoscopies or stool-based tests switch to the blood tests, colorectal cancer death rates will rise. Because the more established colonoscopies and stool tests ...
Up to half of Medicare beneficiaries lack financial resources to pay for a single hospital stay
2024-10-28
Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 28 October 2024
@Annalsofim
Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent. ...
Chemicals produced by fires show potential to raise cancer risk
2024-10-28
Derek Urwin has a special stake in his work as a cancer control researcher. After undergraduate studies in applied mathematics at UCLA, he became a firefighter. His inspiration to launch a second career as a scientist was the loss of his brother, Isaac, who died of leukemia at only 33 despite no history of cancer in their family. Working with Anastassia Alexandrova, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the UCLA College, he earned his doctorate.
Urwin is now a UCLA adjunct professor of chemistry — and still a full-time firefighter with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. In a recent publication, his science shed new light on the chemical underpinnings of exposures ...
Penn Nursing awarded $3.2 million grant to improve firearm safety
2024-10-28
PHILADELPHIA (October 28, 2024) – The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) has been awarded a $3.2 million, 5-year grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) to scale out an evidence-based secure firearm storage intervention at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Firearms are now the leading cause of death for U.S. children and teens, driving the largest spike in children’s mortality in more than 50 years. The study aims to keep children safer from firearm injury and mortality by promoting secure firearm storage.
The intervention, ...
Bird wings inspire new approach to flight safety
2024-10-28
Taking inspiration from bird feathers, Princeton engineers have found that adding rows of flaps to a remote-controlled aircraft’s wings improves flight performance and helps prevent stalling, a condition that can jeopardize a plane’s ability to stay aloft.
“These flaps can both help the plane avoid stall and make it easier to regain control when stall does occur,” said Aimy Wissa, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and principal investigator of the study, published in the Proceedings ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Twelve questions to ask your doctor for better brain health in the new year
Microelectronics Science Research Centers to lead charge on next-generation designs and prototypes
Study identifies genetic cause for yellow nail syndrome
New drug to prevent migraine may start working right away
Good news for people with MS: COVID-19 infection not tied to worsening symptoms
Department of Energy announces $179 million for Microelectronics Science Research Centers
Human-related activities continue to threaten global climate and productivity
Public shows greater acceptance of RSV vaccine as vaccine hesitancy appears to have plateaued
Unraveling the power and influence of language
Gene editing tool reduces Alzheimer’s plaque precursor in mice
TNF inhibitors prevent complications in kids with Crohn's disease, recommended as first-line therapies
Twisted Edison: Bright, elliptically polarized incandescent light
Structural cell protein also directly regulates gene transcription
Breaking boundaries: Researchers isolate quantum coherence in classical light systems
Brain map clarifies neuronal connectivity behind motor function
Researchers find compromised indoor air in homes following Marshall Fire
Months after Colorado's Marshall Fire, residents of surviving homes reported health symptoms, poor air quality
Identification of chemical constituents and blood-absorbed components of Shenqi Fuzheng extract based on UPLC-triple-TOF/MS technology
'Glass fences' hinder Japanese female faculty in international research, study finds
Vector winds forecast by numerical weather prediction models still in need of optimization
New research identifies key cellular mechanism driving Alzheimer’s disease
Trends in buprenorphine dispensing among adolescents and young adults in the US
Emergency department physicians vary widely in their likelihood of hospitalizing a patient, even within the same facility
Firearm and motor vehicle pediatric deaths— intersections of age, sex, race, and ethnicity
Association of state cannabis legalization with cannabis use disorder and cannabis poisoning
Gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia and future neurological disorders
Adoption of “hospital-at-home” programs remains concentrated among larger, urban, not-for-profit and academic hospitals
Unlocking the mysteries of the human gut
High-quality nanodiamonds for bioimaging and quantum sensing applications
New clinical practice guideline on the process for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease or a related form of cognitive impairment or dementia
[Press-News.org] Airbnbs associated with more crime in London, new study showsDavid Kirk of Penn’s Department of Criminology co-authored a collaborative study finding that an increase in Airbnbs in London led to an increase in robbery, burglary, theft, and violence.