One impact of AirBnb is that it lowers the threshold for traveler affordability. Couple it with discount air carriers such as RyanAir or Southwest and the numbe

One impact of AirBnb is that it lowers the threshold for traveler affordability. Couple it with discount air carriers such as RyanAir or Southwest and the number of humans who can afford to travel increases dramatically. For example, a quick survey of Chicago shows: On TripAdvisor: 8 hotels with rooms under $100/night. Lowest room $79. On AirBnb: 100+ listings, entire place, under $100/night. Many under $50. In this way, AirBnb is an enabler for travel. Moreover, you don't even need to look at discount airlines. British Air had a round trip from San Francisco to Milan for $650. AirBnb in Milan, entire apartment, start at around $30/night. Suddenly, 10 days in Milan can be had for under $1,500. Economists might see the future for this situation: More air travel leads to cheaper fares. Cheaper fares leads to still more travelers. More travelers on cheap fares means more demand for AirBnb style housing. AirBnb prices get some upward pressure from added demand, bringing more units into the market. More landlords convert from long to short-term rental. Fewer long term rental means lower supply of long term and higher rents. Higher rents mean more people choose to buy, increasing demand for owned homes. What it all adds up to: Without increasing the number of humans on the planet, you've increased housing prices by making travel more affordable. /s Maybe we make the following rule: In order to rent an AirBnb, you have to AirBnb your home while you're gone. s/