Global South Data Programme

The Global South Data Programme is a focused pathway for members of the Inside Airbnb Community to apply for free access to Inside Airbnb data and technical support. Access is allocated through a selection process, with participation limited to grassroots and community-based organisations, journalists, and researchers in and from the Global South.

Short-term rental platforms are expanding rapidly in many cities facing acute housing shortages, limited regulatory capacity, and fewer resources for independent research. The Global South Data Programme is designed to support people and organisations working on the front lines of these changes, especially those best placed to document local impacts, surface overlooked harms, and connect data to lived experience. In many of these contexts, platform growth is outpacing both regulation and independent scrutiny.

The programme supports critical public-interest research, organising, advocacy, and reporting that strengthens local work while connecting it to global patterns and shared structural challenges.

What the programme offers

Selected participants will receive:

• Free access to Inside Airbnb data
• Technical assistance from the Inside Airbnb research team
• Opportunities for collaboration and exchange
• Potential amplification of partner work through allied networks

Our approach

The programme is designed to:

• Lower barriers to short-term rental research, reporting, and advocacy
• Centre local knowledge, lived experience, and public-interest work
• Connect local findings to global patterns and structural drivers
• Support independent projects without directing or funding them

Within the programme, particular importance is placed on grassroots and community-based work, especially where data supports organising, campaigning, policy advocacy, and public education.

With permission, selected partner work may also be co-published through a shared storytelling hub and amplified across the wider Inside Airbnb network.

Eligibility

The programme is intended for:

• Grassroots and community-based organisations
• Journalists
• Researchers
• Applicants who are in and from the Global South

Participation is limited to applicants working in the public interest.

This approach reflects a deliberate effort to address long-standing inequalities in data access and research resources. It supports those most affected by platform-driven housing pressures and better equips local actors to document impacts, surface overlooked harms, and shape public debate and policy.

Support and future development

The Global South Data Programme is supported by a dedicated community manager and Inside Airbnb's research team. While current participation is unfunded, the programme is intended to lay the groundwork for future funded collaborations and long-term investment in global, community-centred short-term rental research.

Apply now

Apply to the Global South Data Programme

Applications are reviewed through a selection process based on programme fit, public-interest purpose, and alignment with the eligibility criteria above. We encourage applications from groups and individuals working directly on housing, urban change, and local platform impacts.

If you are working to understand and challenge the impacts of short-term rentals in your city or community, we encourage you to apply.

Application deadline: Monday, June 1, 2026 at 23:59 UTC.

Questions? Contact us at community-data-programme@insideairbnb.com.