An analysis of short-term rental accommodations in Malta

Abstract

The renting of accommodations through online platforms such as Airbnb has become more popular throughout the years. It is through the advancement of technology, more specifically ‘Web 2.0’, that communication between travellers and property owners has become easier and more efficient. This new phenomenon of renting properties to travellers from all over the world forms part of the sharing economy. Despite being a recent trend there are still various statistics related to this with regard to Malta. The present research is aimed at analysing some of the existing data related to short-term rental accommodations covering most of the localities in Malta in the last three years. Through a quantitative approach, the main data source being used is an online database known as AirDNA. Comparing this data with other statistics provided by sources such as the National Statistics Office, this research aims to address the growth of short-term rental units in the selected localities in Malta. The chosen localities have been grouped in four areas in this study. Moreover, a representation of the main data for each area has been presented in a chapter of its own to give a better understanding to the reader of the analysis chapter. Moving forward, the analysis of this study will portray various statistical graphs comparing each area and mainly highlighting; the growth of short-term rental accommodations, the type of property being used mostly for rent in Malta and the size of the properties being rented out. Lastly, this study will also identify how hotel accommodations in Malta have been affected throughout the same period.