August 2023
August 2023 was the month of the Maui wildfire. After 8 August, Hawaii housed survivors in hotels, timeshares and Airbnb units, asked owners to rent vacation rentals to displaced residents and discouraged nonessential travel to West Maui. Five days before the fire, Airbnb reported second-quarter net income of $650 million, with listings up 19% and hosts in North America cutting prices. A New York judge dismissed Airbnb's suit over Local Law 18, Portugal's president vetoed the Mais Habitação housing programme, and Vienna and Penang moved to tighten their rules.
A look back, written in October 2026 from sources published in August 2023. Stay Gazette opened in July 2026.
The Money · 3 August 2023Airbnb Posts Its Most Profitable Second Quarter as Hosts Cut PricesAirbnb reported net income of $650 million for the second quarter of 2023 on 3 August. Its listings grew 19% while nights and experiences booked grew 11%, and the company said hosts had begun lowering prices with its new pricing tools.By Dana Whitfield · Filed 11 October 2026 · 7 min read
Host Life · 8 August 2023Hawaii Turns to Vacation Rentals and Hotels to House Maui Fire SurvivorsAfter wildfires burned through Lahaina on 8 August 2023, Hawaii asked owners to rent rooms and vacation rentals to displaced residents, moved survivors into hotels and Airbnb units, and discouraged nonessential travel to West Maui. Airbnb offered refunds on Maui bookings, and Honolulu paused its 30-day rental rule for two weeks.By Tammy Brooks · Filed 11 October 2026 · 8 min read
Pictures on this page. 1. Photo: Skyline of São Paulo centre by Rodrigo.Argenton, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized). 2. Photo: Kaanapali Beach Maui by John P Salvatore, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).
What else was reported in August 2023
- 7 August 2023Olivia Grégoire, France's minister delegate for small and medium enterprise, trade, craft and tourism, said the government would sign a charter with platforms including Airbnb to flag abnormally high prices on Paris listings during the 2024 Olympic Games, Short Term Rentalz reported on 7 August 2023, citing Le Parisien. Short Term Rentalz
- 9 August 2023A New York state judge dismissed Airbnb's lawsuit against New York City over Local Law 18, Short Term Rentalz reported on 9 August 2023; Judge Arlene Bluth called the requirement that hosts register “inherently rational”, and the law was due to be enforced from 5 September. Short Term Rentalz
- 21 August 2023Portugal's president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, vetoed the government's Mais Habitação housing programme on 21 August 2023 and returned it to parliament, writing that the complexity of its local accommodation rules made it doubtful they would work quickly. Diário de Notícias
- 21 August 2023AirDNA said July 2023 was a record month for U.S. short-term rental stays, at 35.4 million nights, 9.4 per cent above July 2022, while supply growth slowed to 12.1 per cent and average daily rates fell one per cent, Short Term Rentalz reported on 21 August 2023. Short Term Rentalz
- 23 August 2023Vienna was set to limit short-term renting of individual units to a maximum of 90 days a year across the city from July 2024, with exceptions by application, Short Term Rentalz reported on 23 August 2023. Short Term Rentalz
- 24 August 2023Penang's state government in Malaysia said it would enforce its short-term rental rules with immediate effect, Short Term Rentalz reported on 24 August 2023; Airbnb, which listed more than 1,000 properties there, said the rules would heavily restrict home sharing in strata buildings. Short Term Rentalz