Airbnb City Portal Offers Transparency, Addresses Safety Concerns

A new Airbnb Portal gives cities a much-requested glimpse into the short-term rental company's books. Now operating in 15 cities, the Airbnb City Portal is poised for implementation on a global scale.

2 minute read

September 30, 2020, 9:00 AM PDT

By Lee Flannery @leecflannery


Airbnb logo over Dresden

AlesiaKan / Shutterstock

Multinational short-term rental behemoth Airbnb is making an effort to increase transparency with a data-sharing portal intended to provide a platform for municipalities to address safety concerns related to specific Airbnb listings. 

"The Airbnb City Portal, which launched on Wednesday as a pilot program with 15 global cities and tourism agencies, aims to provide municipal staff with more efficient access to data about listings, including whether or not they’re complying with local laws," reports Patrick Sisson. 

The pilot program features a direct contact person for each city to review safety or security issues identified by local officials. The Portal will also provide information about demographics and city of origin for visitors of Airbnb's rentals, making possible more data-informed marketing and advertising spend for municipalities

"At a time when fears of the impact of over-tourism have abruptly turned into worries about under-tourism, Airbnb is trying to position itself as a responsible partner that can help struggling cities recover more quickly," writes Sisson. 

The Portal could go great lengths toward touching up an already blemished relationship with local municipalities. Airbnb senior vice president for global policy and communications Chris Lehane hopes the company can "speed response times for the safety issues that have recently cropped up, such as booking entire homes for events to get around social distancing regulations, and eventually figure out how to do this on a global scale."

Wednesday, September 23, 2020 in Bloomberg CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Tents inhabited by unhoused people lined up on sidewalk in Los Angeles, California in front of industrial building.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling

An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.

5 seconds ago - Times of San Diego

Route 66 motel neon sign.

Albuquerque Route 66 Motels Become Affordable Housing

A $4 million city fund is incentivizing developers to breathe new life into derelict midcentury motels.

1 hour ago - High Country News

Green public transit bus at stop in Silver Spring, Maryland.

DC Area County Eliminates Bus Fares

Montgomery County joins a growing trend of making transit free.

2 hours ago - The Washington Post

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.