Regulatory Responses to Short-Term Rental Platforms

Abstract

Background: Debate around short-term rentals often emphasizes formal rules; less attention is given to the organizational conditions that determine whether those rules operate consistently.

Objective: We examined implementation relating to short-term rentals and its relationship with procedural clarity, coordination, institutional capacity, and platform regulation.

Methods: A comparative analysis was undertaken across 6 jurisdictions or institutional settings. Primary legal and policy documents were integrated with structured organizational evidence and, where relevant, key-informant material. Cases were assessed on authority, coordination, transparency, safeguards, enforcement, and implementation capacity.

Results: Three recurring implementation patterns emerged for short-term rentals. Higher-performing settings combined explicit mandates, formal coordination, and accessible review arrangements; together, these features were associated with a 8% improvement in the composite implementation score. Fragmented responsibility, by contrast, was linked to delay and inconsistent enforcement.

Conclusion: The observed pattern shows that effective governance of short-term rentals depends on implementation quality, not simply the existence of regulation. This means that platform regulation works more consistently when obligations are specific, oversight is coordinated, and compliance processes are reviewable.

Study design: comparative city policy study.

Publication history: Originally published in print on 15 June 2023, Volume 3, Article 13. Online abstract record added on 16 September 2026. Full-text PDF will be added when the digital galley is ready.