Work

Dwelling Under the Platform: The Sustainability Paradox and Governance Approaches of Short‐Term Rentals

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT As a prominent form of the platform economy, short‐term rentals have reshaped global tourism and urban space, making their sustainability impacts a core concern for scholars and policymakers. Using PRISMA 2020, we systematically screened 3495 records from Web of Science and Scopus, identifying 100 high‐quality core studies for thematic analysis. We develop an original analytical framework of the “digital sustainability paradox” to unpack the intertwined positive and negative effects of short‐term rentals across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The findings suggest that sustainability in this sector is less a technical or market issue than a governance challenge, whose trajectory depends on power relations and institutional arrangements among platforms, governments, communities, and users. We propose an adaptive governance framework that transcends “one‐size‐fits‐all” regulation, advocating context‐sensitive, multi‐level, and participatory policy design to balance innovation, justice, and resilience.

Source: Sustainable Development

DOI: 10.1002/sd.70696

Authors: Li Ziming, Yang Jie, He Furong

Institutions: University of Malaya, China West Normal University

Language: English

Topic: Sharing Economy and Platforms

Subfield: Marketing

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: National Office for Philosophy and Social Sciences