Terms of Agreement

Terms of Agreement is an editorial critique of Airbnb and their motto “live like a local”. While living for 6 weeks in the central Roman neighborhood, Trastevere, I discovered a loss of authentic Roman heritage. Local Italians are forced from their homes as Airbnb renters temporarily but continuously take over; changing the cultural backbone of the neighborhood. As tourists gain the opportunity to “live locally”, citizens are evicted and left invisibly homeless. The front and back cover is wrapped in the Airbnb's Terms of Agreement which literally and metaphorically binds locals. Spread throughout this book are excerpts from these Terms that have been placed in relation to pictures to provide a context. Tourists don't necessarily realize what they are doing, and the locals within don't have a choice. Spread throughout the book are small pieces of the Terms that have been placed in contexts to provide a different meaning. This research project forced me to immerse myself into the lives of locals. Not only did I have to gain trust to further the tough conversation, but also develop personal relationships with locals for them to allow me into their homes, documenting the most personal moments of their life. The goal of this narrative publication is to bring an awareness to an issue that goes unnoticed by millions every day. This specific book is directed towards local Italians, but is only a microcosm of the larger problem that happens with all of tourism.