Airbnb removes over 1,600 social‑housing listings in São Paulo

Airbnb began deleting 1,625 apartment listings classified as Habitação de Interesse Social (HIS) and Habitação de Mercado Popular (HMP) from its platform on 3 March. The units were built with municipal incentives and, by law, may only be sold to families earning between one and ten minimum wages. Investigations revealed many of these homes had been sold to investors and listed for short‑term rentals, violating São Paulo’s housing policy. The city has already imposed more than R$ 4 million in fines on developers for similar breaches. Airbnb said it will notify affected hosts, support guests in finding alternative accommodation, and continue cooperating with the São Paulo Prefecture to enforce the rules. The removal process will start with 773 active listings and include 852 inactive ones, with further removals expected as official data are provided.