SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 INSP GROUNDCOVER NEWS Cities for people, not for profit: municipalities fight against Airbnb NOEMI POHL FiftyFifty It all began quite harmlessly: in 2008, two men from San Francisco rented out air mattresses in their flat in order to pay their rent. “Air Bed and Breakfast” was intended to provide travellers with affordable accommodation — a charming idea that quickly spread around the world thanks to the internet. Today, Airbnb offers accommodation in over 150,000 cities worldwide. But little remains of the original vision of sharing. Instead of occasionally sharing empty rooms, investors now buy up entire blocks of buildings, just to rent them out to tourists for profit. The result is a veritable “commodification” of housing: flats are being used less and less by permanent residents of the city; instead, every little room is being offered for short-term lets. As a result, Airbnb causes a removal of rental flats from the market and encourages property speculation, rents are driven ever higher, and locals pay the price. The figures are alarming: in Barcelona, for instance, rents have risen by a whopping 68 per cent in the last decade, and in Lisbon, they have tripled. These are prices that many residents simply cannot afford. People who used to live in the centre of the city are now being pushed into the outer suburbs. Elderly people who have lived on the same street for decades have no choice but to move out because they can no longer afford the rent. Families can no longer find affordable housing close to Groundcover Vendor Code While Groundcover is a non-profit, and paper vendors are self-employed contractors, we still have expectations of how vendors should conduct themselves while selling and representing the paper. The following is our Vendor Code of Conduct, which every vendor reads and signs before receiving a badge and papers. We request that if you discover a vendor violating any tenets of the Code, please contact us and provide as many details as possible. Our paper and our vendors should be positively impacting our County. • Groundcover will be distributed school and work. Young people are finding themselves unable to move out in the first place, and have no choice but to live with their parents. But there’s more to it than just rising rents. Where once there was a neighbourhood, there is now the rattling of suitcases being wheeled. Where a small bakery once stood, there is now a souvenir shop. Bookshops and greengrocers are disappearing because their customers are staying away and rents are exploding – all that remains are large chains. Residents complain about constant noise and a revolving door of neighbours with no sense of responsibility. The city becomes a mere backdrop, while real life is pushed to the margins. People in precarious situations are particularly affected: older people, low-income families and people with a migratory background hardly stand a chance on the overheated housing market. The risk of homelessness is rising. Housing displacement can also have a major impact on the social fabric of the city. When locals are forced to leave their neighbourhood because they can no longer afford rent, people of varying incomes and social backgrounds come into less contact with each other. Increasing isolation increases social tensions and jeopardises social cohesion. The consequences have long since become part of everyday life, and many people are fed up. Thousands regularly demonstrate in affected cities. Most recently, activists in Barcelona tried to draw attention to the consequences of mass tourism by spraying for a voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for more than the cover price or solicit donations by any other means. • When selling Groundcover, I will always have the current biweekly issue of Groundcover available for customer purchase. • I agree not to sell additional goods or products when selling the paper or to panhandle, including panhandling with only one paper or selling an issue more than 4 weeks old. • I will wear and display my badge when selling papers and refrain from wearing it or other Groundcover gear when engaged in other activities. • I will only purchase the paper from Groundcover Staff and will not Photo courtesy of INFOE Studio tourists with water pistols. Some local authorities are reacting: Munich and Paris are taking legal action against the corporation and demanding transparency regarding rental data. Amsterdam limits rentals to a maximum of 30 days per year. Barcelona is going to go one step further: by the end of 2028, there is going to be a complete ban on renting out holiday flats throughout the city, and existing licences will not be renewed. But Airbnb now relies on aggressive lobbying and attempts to undermine all regulatory approaches. With its enormous market and capital power, the company has privileged access and exerts influence with other players in the tourism sector. This shows that the existing rules and potential sanctions are not sufficient. Tough measures, consistent bans on sell to or buy papers from other Groundcover vendors, especially vendors who have been suspended or terminated. • I agree to treat all customers, staff, and other vendors respectfully. I will not “hard sell,” threaten, harass or pressure customers, staff, or other vendors verbally or physically. • I will not sell Groundcover under the influence of drugs or alcohol. • I understand that I am not a legal employee of Groundcover but a contracted worker responsible for my own well-being and income. • I understand that my badge is property of Groundcover and will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing the papers. • I agree to stay off private propmisappropriation and platform responsibility are needed. It is crucial to pool legal powers at the local and EU level in order to be able to cope with the multi-billion corporation. The debate about housing displacement by corporations such as Airbnb is part of a larger struggle over the right to the city; should urban spaces serve the thirst for profit of a few investors or the needs of the many residents? Perhaps it begins with a simple question: Who owns the city? And perhaps it ends with a demand that has long been written on many a building wall: “A city for people, not for profit.” Translated from German via Translators Without Borders Courtesy of FiftyFifty / INSP.ngo 13 erty when selling Groundcover. • I understand to refrain from selling on public buses, federal property or stores unless there is permission from the owner. • I agree to stay at least one block away from another vendor in downtown areas. I will also abide by the Vendor Corner Policy. • I understand that Groundcover strives to be a paper that covers topics of homelessness and poverty while providing sources of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word. If you would like to report a violation of the Vendor Code or leave positive review of a Vendor experience please email contact@ groundcovernews.com or fill out the contact form on our website.
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