Tourism Gentrification: Short-Term Rentals, Displacement, and Policy Tools

Nyiramukama Diana Kashaka

Faculty of Education, Kampala International University, Uganda

                                                                                      ABSTRACT
Tourism gentrification has emerged as a critical urban challenge driven by the rapid expansion of short-term rental markets and the intensification of global tourism flows. This paper examines the relationship between short-term rentals, neighborhood transformation, and displacement, situating tourism gentrification within broader debates on urban change and housing inequality. It develops a conceptual framework linking affordability, amenities, social mix, and value capture to explain how tourism demand reshapes urban spaces. The analysis highlights multiple forms of displacement physical, functional, ritual, and symbolic arising from the conversion of residential housing into tourism-oriented uses. Drawing on comparative case studies, the paper demonstrates how the scale and impact of tourism gentrification vary across cities depending on regulatory frameworks, housing market conditions, and patterns of investment. It further evaluates policy instruments, including regulatory caps, zoning restrictions, and enforcement mechanisms, alongside their trade-offs in balancing economic growth with housing affordability and community stability. An equity perspective underscores the disproportionate burden on low-income residents and marginalized communities. The study concludes that while tourism contributes to urban revitalization, unchecked short-term rental expansion risks exacerbating displacement and socio-spatial inequalities, necessitating integrated, context-sensitive policy responses.

Keywords: Tourism gentrification, Short-term rentals, Urban displacement, Housing affordability and Urban policy.

CITE AS: Nyiramukama Diana Kashaka (2026). Tourism Gentrification: Short-Term Rentals, Displacement, and Policy Tools. Research Output Journal of Education 6(1):36-40.
https://doi.org/10.59298/ROJE/2026/613640