May 2021
May 2021 was a month of preparation for a summer in which Airbnb expected a travel rebound. The company said on 13 May that first-quarter revenue had exceeded its first-quarter 2019 level while its active listings and experiences were consistent with the fourth quarter of 2020, and on 24 May it said it had cut the process of becoming a host to 10 steps. In California, the Court of Appeal ruled on 4 May that Santa Barbara could not ban coastal vacation rentals without the Coastal Commission's approval.
A look back, written in October 2026 from sources published in May 2021. Stay Gazette opened in July 2026.
Crackdown · 4 May 2021Court of Appeal Rules Santa Barbara Could Not Ban Coastal Rentals on Its OwnA California appeal court upheld an order that stopped Santa Barbara from enforcing its 2015 crackdown on vacation rentals in the coastal zone without the Coastal Commission's approval. The city answered with an interim policy and a 30 June deadline for operators.By Marcus Dane · Filed 11 October 2026 · 7 min read
Platforms · 24 May 2021Airbnb Cuts Host Sign-Up to 10 Steps and Announces Two Flexible SearchesAirbnb's release of 24 May 2021 carried more than 100 upgrades. The ones that mattered to hosts were a 10-step process for listing a home, a faster inbox and two new ways for guests to search.By Jesse Kohl · Filed 11 October 2026 · 7 min read
Pictures on this page. 1. Photo: Santa Barbara California by Don Ramey Logan by Don Ramey Logan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized). 2. Photo: Trulli - Alberobello, Bari, Italy - August 15, 2010 05 by Giorgio Galeotti, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
What else was reported in May 2021
- 6 May 2021Expedia Group's chief executive, Peter Kern, said on 6 May 2021 that strong vacation rental growth and demand for domestic travel were driving the company. Restricted cash and cash equivalents, which Expedia said primarily related to traveler deposits for Vrbo bookings, was approximately $2 billion at 31 March 2021, compared with $772 million at 31 December 2020. Expedia Group, Inc. (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing)
- 6 May 2021A City of Toronto staff report dated 6 May 2021 said research had identified 3,476 short-term rental listings that had been posted as longer-term rentals, and recommended a bylaw amendment to clarify that short-term rental companies must validate listings against the city's registration data. City of Toronto
- 10 May 2021The U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency asked for public comment, by 5 July, on mortgages in developments where a large share of the units were rented for 30 days or less or served mainly as vacation homes, the trade site ShortTermRentalz reported on 10 May 2021. ShortTermRentalz
- 13 May 2021Airbnb said on 13 May 2021 that its first-quarter revenue had increased by 5% year over year and exceeded its first-quarter 2019 level, that its total net loss was $1.2 billion, which it said was affected by significant items totaling $782 million, and that its number of active listings and experiences was consistent with the fourth quarter of 2020. Airbnb Newsroom
- 20 May 2021The City of Vienna won a lawsuit against Airbnb over listings of the city's municipal apartments, which tenants were not allowed to sublet, ShortTermRentalz reported on 20 May 2021. The verdict was not yet legally binding and Airbnb had said it would appeal, according to the report. ShortTermRentalz
- 24 May 2021Vacasa announced that select vacation homes it managed would be offered through Homes & Villas by Marriott International, ShortTermRentalz reported on 24 May 2021. The 6,500 homes, with 4,000 properties from Vacasa's acquisition of TurnKey, made it the leading supplier of properties to the Marriott site, the report said. ShortTermRentalz