The rise of digital platforms involved also the accommodation sector, introducing new forms of house “sharing” and short-term rentals which contributed to change the urban landscape.

There is a series of tensions which seem to characterize this sector: on the one hand, digital platforms enable people owning an apartment to earn complementary – and sometimes even supplementary – forms of income which are particularly important in times of crisis and economic downturn; on the other hand, the massive spread of short term rentals can have negative effects on more traditional housing markets, creating upward pressures on prices.

Furthermore, incumbent players such as companies operating in the hotel industry argue that digital platforms like Airbnb should be considered illegal on the basis of rules against unfair competition, despite the recent decision by the European Court of Justice which gave the platform the freedom to establish and provide its service in the EU Member States.