January 2021
In January 2021 Airbnb said it would cancel and block Washington, D.C. area reservations for inauguration week and reimburse hosts at its own expense. Toronto began enforcing its registration rules on 1 January, and Expedia said the city's regulatory environment had caused Vrbo to withdraw. England was under a national lockdown in which holidays were not permitted, and the Treasury offered closed businesses one-off grants of up to £9,000. Airbnb argued against Scotland's licensing plan, Kauai joined its City Portal, and Hipcamp's $57 million funding round was reported.
A look back, written in October 2026 from sources published in January 2021. Stay Gazette opened in July 2026.
Crackdown · 12 January 2021Expedia Blames Toronto's Short-Term Rental Rules for Vrbo's ExitThe Logic reported on 12 January 2021 that Vrbo had ceased operations in Toronto, and Expedia Group said the city's regulatory environment had caused it to withdraw. Toronto had begun enforcing its principal-residence and registration rules on 1 January.By Marcus Dane · Filed 11 October 2026 · 7 min read
Platforms · 13 January 2021Airbnb to Cancel and Block Washington Area Bookings for Inauguration WeekAirbnb said on 13 January 2021 that it would cancel reservations in the Washington, D.C. metro area for inauguration week, block new ones, refund guests in full and reimburse hosts at its own expense. Hosts who had already blocked their own calendars were left out, DCist reported.By Jesse Kohl · Filed 11 October 2026 · 7 min read
Pictures on this page. 1. Photo: Toronto skyline viewed from Trillium Park by Maksim Sokolov (maxergon.com), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized). 2. Photo: J8 2020 1876 by Frypie, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
What else was reported in January 2021
- 6 January 2021England was under a national lockdown by 6 January 2021: the consumer group Which? told readers that going on holiday or staying overnight away from home was not permitted, a second home included, and that because holiday accommodation would be forced to close, guests were entitled to a refund. Which?
- 5 January 2021A day after the Prime Minister's lockdown announcement, the Treasury said on 5 January 2021 that closed retail, hospitality and leisure businesses would get one-off grants of £4,000, £6,000 or £9,000 per property, depending on rateable value, with a further £594 million for local authorities and the devolved administrations to support other businesses. GOV.UK (HM Treasury)
- 26 January 2021Airbnb said on 26 January 2021 that it had shared evidence with the Scottish Parliament's Local Government and Communities Committee against the Scottish Government's proposed licensing rules for short-term lets, which it said could give Scotland one of the most restrictive regulatory systems anywhere in the world. Airbnb Newsroom (United Kingdom)
- 22 January 2021Airbnb said on 22 January 2021 that the County of Kauai had become a City Portal partner, giving county officials a tool to view Airbnb listings within its registration system. Under an earlier agreement, hosts without a valid Tax Map Key number were to be removed from Airbnb upon notice from the county. Airbnb Newsroom
- 11 January 2021Hipcamp, an online marketplace where private landowners list campsites, glampsites, RV space and cabins, closed a $57 million Series C funding round that took its internal value to more than $300 million, Short Term Rentalz reported on 11 January 2021. Short Term Rentalz
- 20 January 2021Holidaycottages.co.uk said bookings taken since Saturday 16 January 2021 were 85 percent up on the previous week, and that bookings from Easter onwards were 37 percent ahead of the same point a year earlier, Short Term Rentalz reported on 20 January. Short Term Rentalz