Mexico City has a housing problem familiar to dozens of other global cities: neighborhoods built for residents are increasingly becoming Airbnbs.
To avoid this, two years ago Mexico City passed a law designed to contain the growth of short-term rentals. The problem is that since then it has struggled to enforce it. That may finally be changing this month.
Yet, the story of why it took so long to begin implementing the law reveals not only the enormous power that international corporations like Airbnb often wield in Mexico, but also the inability of local governments to move from laws on paper to actual enforcement.
So today’s Mexico Decoded essay tells the story of the dark saga of Mexico City vs. Airbnb.
