Let’s make vacation accessible for everyone–that’s the mission of Becoming rentABLE, and it becomes ours too. Our objective focused on helping Becoming rentABLE to expand their inventory of accessible short-term rental rental across 18 target U.S cities. To achieve this, we analyzed Airbnb text review data and used a RoBERTa-based sentiment model to generate predictions. We also integrated a zero-shot model to classify reviewer profiles and built a custom accessibility scoring system. Using the system’s predictions, we identified highly accessible properties not yet on rentABLE’s list, helping to increase the number of potential certified rentals.
In addition, we analyzed survey responses from 401 consumers to better understand travelers’ needs and identify gaps in the short-term rental market. These insights supported Becoming rentABLE’s efforts to deepen partnerships with major rental platforms like Expedia, Vrbo and Booking.com and to enhance educational initiatives that help property owners make their listings more accessible.
Mentor: Lauren Nichols
