By Alex Fitzpatrick and Arpita Aneja
Airbnb is to hotels as Uber is to taxis. An accommodations-booking platform with more than 2 million listings worldwide, Airbnb lets users rent out their unused space to travelers. It’s also known for its offbeat accommodations, like lighthouses and castles.
However, the site is not without controversy: Some critics argue Airbnb lets property owners run de-facto hotels in apartments intended for long-term housing, driving up real estate prices in some cities.
For more about Airbnb, watch the Tech Time video above.
Airbnb Has Some of the Most Unique Offices in the World










More Must-Reads from TIME
- Cybersecurity Experts Are Sounding the Alarm on DOGE
- Meet the 2025 Women of the Year
- The Harsh Truth About Disability Inclusion
- Why Do More Young Adults Have Cancer?
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Michelle Zauner Stares Down the Darkness
Write to Arpita Aneja at arpita.aneja@time.com