Real Estate and COVID-19
How the recent pandemic has affected the real estate industry.
As with other sectors, COVID-19 has greatly impacted the real estate industry
Airbnb and hotels have struggled to keep up with COVID-19 restrictions and regulations, vacations and tourism coming to a halt has lowered demand on properties, new laws to protect renters are putting pressure on landlords, and the housing market had to deal with loss of interest in some areas, and rising demand and prices in others.
Video: How California is redefining rent control
California's new rent control law is meant to help alleviate pressures surrounding the affordable housing crisis. The result could mean more laws like this start popping up all over the country.
Video: Millions of Americans cant pay rent
The pandemic turned America's housing crisis into an eviction crisis.
Video: Can Airbnb survive?
With cancellations surging and crippling the travel industry, guest, hosts, and investors alike are asking whether Airbnb will survive at all.
Video: Construction workers tell of unsafe conditions during COVID-19 crisis
Construction workers say worksites are increasingly unsanitary and unsafe.
Video: How the coronavirus pandemic has affected the real estate industry
The housing market has taken a hit, but there is hope now that some states are reopening.
Audio: Airbnb rental model becomes victim of the coronavirus
This year was supposed to be Airbnb's big year. The company planned to go public, but COVID-19 has all but destroyed their business model. Listen here.
Audio: Researcher finds evictions cause more deaths
The national protection on evictions expires in December. A look into linking evictions to increased coronavirus cases and deaths. Listen here.
Audio: Boston landlords ignore eviction bans
Landlords are pressuring tenants to leave if they cannot pay, even with eviction protections in place. Listen here.
Reading: UK house prices soar as homes in national parks attract premiums
Prices rising at fastest rate in almost six years despite COVID crisis. People looking to move to areas with close access to parks and nature. Read more here.
Reading: UK house price book will collapse once buyers loose their jobs
A rise in demand has kept the property market hot, but a chill is on its way... Read more here.
Reading: Airbnb's value drops due to coronavirus as its IPO approaches
Company wants to go public, but its had a 19% drop in revenue year over year last quarter due to COVID-19. Read more here.
Reading: Lisbon to turn tourist flats into homes
COVID-19 has created an opportunity for cities to turn short-term rentals into social housing. Read more here.
Reading: Evictions caused more than 10,000 COVID deaths
Forcing tenants out of housing is cause some serious issues. Read more here.
Vocabulary: Important terms to know
Listen to vocabulary pronunciation here.
- Tenant
- Landlord
- Eviction
- Property
- Housing
- Restrictions
- Symptoms
- Pandemic
- Impact
- Immunity
- Quarantine
- Social distancing
- Proximity
- Contagious
- Infectious
Reflection: Questions and opinions
Here are some important questions to reflect upon in having to do with this session's subject:
- Can a balance be found between the needs of landlords to be paid and the financial issues of tenants during this COVID crisis?
- Governments have been putting temporary bans on evictions of tenants in place but these are expiring in many places now, is it too early? Do renters need more protection?
- What changes have you seen in the housing market since the COVID-19 crisis began?
- Are certain types of properties currently, and potentially temporarily, more attractive than before?
- Airbnb promotes tourism in cities where it exists, but does it drive up prices and result in a lack of housing? Should there be more regulations around the practice of short-term rentals?
- Can Airbnb successfully IPO during a global pandemic that is affecting their profits so harshly?