Airbnb is an online marketplace which lets people rent out their properties or spare rooms to guests.
There are photos of the property, and the hosts/guests, with full map listing.
Guests get good value accommodation at a huge range of price points, from a few pounds a night to hundreds and often in prime locations where a normal hotel would cost infinitely more.
Hosts can cash in on spare space, perhaps if children have flown the nest and there’s a spare bedroom.
In fact, according to economist Dr Margarethe Theseira, if an Airbnb host lists their property for seven days a month on average they would earn £5,600 per year, a boost to household income equivalent to a 15% pay rise for an average full-time employee.
There is more than a financial impetus though: many guests like living like a local and getting restaurant recommendations from people really in-the-know, while many hosts just enjoy meeting new people and showing off their home.