What is the real relationship of Airbnb with the famous "sharing economy" and the "platform economy"? What particular characteristics has the phenomenon taken in the case of Greece, especially in the city of Athens, and what are its effects on the economy, society, and (urban) space? In what way and to what extent does the Airbnb phenomenon transform the city's image and the daily lives of its residents in the neighborhoods? What kind of regulatory interventions are being tried in Greece and abroad, and at the same time, what "from below" claims and alternative proposals are being made? How does all this seem to be affected (or not) after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic?

The above are some of the basic questions addressed in this book. The practice of short-term property rental, widely known as Airbnb, appeared in 2007, quickly spread to many cities and other tourist destinations around the world, and continues to develop dynamically and unpredictably to this day. In Greece, the development of Airbnb within the framework of a deep economic and housing crisis, a perennial absence of established housing policies, and a remarkable rise in urban (and not only) tourism, has given the phenomenon particular characteristics. The practice of Airbnb has been adopted in a socially and geographically uneven manner, evolving for some and in specific areas into a vital survival strategy during the crisis, while for others - constantly increasing - into a new field of profit and wealth accumulation. Among other things, Airbnb has contributed to the displacement of permanent residents from their neighborhoods, through processes of a controversial "gentrification" and a rather commonplace "touristification" of (urban) space. Overall, Airbnb - directly connected to housing and tourism issues - has emerged as a dramatically transformative factor, with critical implications for the economy, society, and space, especially in the daily lives of the most vulnerable population groups.

Beyond "misunderstandings" and myths that prevail, this book attempts a critical reading of Airbnb, from the perspective of spatial sciences, with an emphasis on the spatial dimensions of the phenomenon, which are often intentionally or unintentionally overlooked or silenced.