Airbnb begins removing 1,600 public housing listings in the city of SP

According to the platform, communication to hosts and removal covers 773 accommodations with active advertisements, in addition to another 852 inactive ones (deactivated by the person responsible). "This will be a continuous process based on official information provided", he indicated in a statement to Folha de S.Paulo.

The company pointed out that impacted guests will be notified. They will also receive support for booking new accommodation.

Hosts should contact city hall if they believe they have had their ads unduly removed. This is because "revisions or changes to this classification depend on information contained in the Municipality's official records", he explained in the note.

Airbnb stated that the measure is a first step. He also declared that he "will continue to collaborate with the City of São Paulo in complying with the rules of the municipality's housing policy."

"The platform reinforces that it has clear rules that require hosts to comply with all laws, rules and regulations applicable to advertised properties. By publishing an ad on Airbnb, the host accepts and formally commits to these obligations", he added.

Those responsible for accommodations on the platform began to be notified about removals in May. At the time, Folha de S.Paulo identified four apartments in the north zone in which the hosts themselves admitted that they were popular housing. Of the total, three advertisements were deactivated by those responsible after notification, while one had its description changed, no longer mentioning the type of housing.

The "distortion" of thousands of apartments for short-term rentals and housing for higher income was the subject of investigation by the Public Ministry for more than three years and by the CPI (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) at the City Council.

Part of the ads were identified on other virtual platforms, such as Booking - which responded to Folha de S.Paulo in July that it is committed to "operating in strict accordance with local legislation" and that it maintains dialogue with public authorities.

In a note, Ricardo Nunes (MDB) management responded that it had requested the removal of advertisements from the main short-term rental platforms. "The city hall's objective is to ensure that properties subsidized by the municipality strictly comply with their social role and legislation," he declared.

Cebrap (Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning) estimated that municipal incentives allocated to companies in the real estate market for the construction of this type of apartment would represent R$ 1.2 billion in onerous grant, the main financial compensation charged by the city hall for verticalization in the city. The amount was updated to R$5 billion by the CPI, in a report delivered in May, covering the period from 2014 to 2025.

The Nunes administration has refuted the allegation that the policy would not serve the population in housing deficit, says it monitors based on legal parameters and argues that the benefit resulted in approval for the construction of more than 400 thousand units between 2019 and 2024 (compared to 48 thousand produced with municipal funds in the period). Until July, at least 887 units were fined, with a total value of R$44.1 million in fines.

The incentive strategy was created with the 2014 Master Plan and the 2016 Zoning Law, with expansions and flexibility over the years, such as the end of the requirement for an agreement with the city hall in 2018.

A study by Cebrap mapped at least 16 benefits, including approval for taller buildings with a larger built area than in common projects. Today, these apartments account for 75% of São Paulo's production, according to data from the real estate sector.

In May, the Prosecutor's Office filed a second public civil action. The request requires the city hall to adopt measures in the short term, such as presenting a list of all homes and creating a virtual platform for sending and storing documents and evidence, among others.

CLASSIFICATION OF POPULAR HOUSING IN SÃO PAULO

- HIS-1 (monthly family income of up to 3 minimum wages): R$ 4,863 (or up to R$ 810.50 per capita);- HIS-2 (monthly family income of 3 to 6 minimum wages): R$ 9,726 (or up to R$ 1,621 per capita); 2,431.50 per capita)