A Silver Lining of the Pandemic

I have to keep track of the few good things to come out of the pandemic, like the decrease in air pollution. Here's another one:

Airbnb's landlords who have converted their rental housing to short-term rentals are being crushed by the pandemic. As a result, they have to convert their units back to real housing that normal people can afford to pay for and live in year round!

So sad.

Originally, Airbnb seemed like a good idea. As Peter Harrison, a New York City-based housing activist put it in the linked article, "It’s a very good small idea and a terrible big idea. The idea that you have an extra bedroom you occasionally put on Airbnb—that’s fine, but of course it quickly manifests into professional landlords."

The pandemic, of course, affects the extra-bedroom-providers even more than it does the professional landlords. But the big dent in travel caused by the pandemic is affecting the pros, too.

May they all sign leases with permanent residents soon.