Airbnb has been the menace of major cities for years. The service has been credibly accused of increasing housing costs when units are converted into short-term lets, while residents complain that Airbnb damages their communities. Across Europe, governments have placed restrictions and regulations on the service with varying degrees of success, as illustrated by the fact that nearly a quarter of the listings in London were thought to be in violation of the city’s ninety-day limit in May 2019.

At the beginning of this year, governments were continuing to fight the rental platform, with eight European cities having appealed a favorable EU ruling that found the company didn’t need an estate agent license. French tax authorities were demanding data to investigate hosts for tax avoidance, while Scotland passed new laws to allow local authorities to regulate short-term lets.

But then the pandemic hit, nearly killing the travel industry overnight and firmly shifting the balance of power from Airbnb to governments.