An Airbnb co-founder is jumping in the pre-fab backyard cottage game—but will too many ADUs become short-term rentals to make a difference for housing costs?
As short-term rentals proliferated around the world, housing advocates warned about the new model’s potential to have a negative impact on housing affordability and availability. “Earlier this year, New York City had more Airbnb listings than apartments available to rent,” writes Kim Velsey in Curbed.
“Now, one of Airbnb’s co-founders is launching a start-up to capitalize on the problem the company maybe sort of possibly exacerbated.” Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia’s new start-up will offer prefabricated accessory dwelling units (ADUs), the backyard apartments becoming more popular as cities and states around the country legalize them as part of the effort to encourage more housing construction and increase the availability of rental units. As Velsey points out, the units look like prime candidates for Airbnb listings.
Ready-made ADUs are not a new concept, and some cities even offer a set of pre-approved ADU designs to streamline the process and make it more affordable for homeowners. But when asking the question of whether luxury ADUs like those built by Gebbia’s company will make a difference in the housing crisis, Velsey expresses skepticism. “They certainly won’t hurt, but making any kind of a dent would mean using the tens of thousands of new units being built in the state to, you know, actually house people.”
FULL STORY: Airbnb Co-founder Discovers the ADU
Berkeley Launches ADU Amnesty Program
Owners of unpermitted accessory dwelling units can bring their units up to code and obtain certificates of compliance without facing penalties.
How Cities Can Support ADU Production
Although state-level laws are making it easier for homeowners to build accessory dwelling units, high impact and development fees remain a major barrier for many prospective ADU builders.
Cincinnati ADU Legalization Slow to Catch On
Only four permits have been filed since the city made ‘granny flats’ legal last year.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)