Stranger-danger? Understanding the moderating effects of children in the household on non-hosting residents' emotional solidarity with Airbnb visitors, feeling safe, and support for Airbnb

Airbnb has been portrayed as making neighborhoods significantly less safe where hosts are operating. However, the evidence has been mainly anecdotal. The present study developed a model of non-hosting residents' emotional solidarity with Airbnb visitors, their sense of feeling safe, and support for Airbnb hosts. Results indicated that non-hosting residents who had higher emotional solidarity with Airbnb visitors were more supportive of Airbnb hosts. Also, economic benefits and place attachment were significant antecedents to emotional solidarity. Considering the protection motivation theory, results of group modeling indicated the sense of feeling safe was an important factor for non-hosting residents with children living in their household, attributed to parental fear of visitors around children (i.e., stranger danger). The sense of feeling safe was a significant mediating factor influencing support for Airbnb hosts in the non-hosting residents group with children living in their households.