A new City Hall partnership with Women’s Aid and Airbnb will offer free emergency accommodation to survivors of domestic abuse across London.
The pilot scheme will provide up to 60 survivors and their children with short-term stays in Airbnb-listed homes for up to two weeks, alongside one-to-one support including legal advice, advocacy, translation and transport assistance.
Women’s Aid chief executive Farah Nazeer said the collaboration could make a critical difference for survivors at the point of crisis.
Nazeer said: “Systemic underfunding of specialist services has sadly meant victims and survivors seeking support have been turned away, with refuges operating a 60% refusal rate.
“Collaborations such as these will mean survivors now have options, instead of facing imminent homelessness or being forced to return to the abuser.”
London recorded more than 90,000 domestic abuse cases in the year to August 2025, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said City Hall would contribute up to £50,000 to the initiative, matched by the same amount from Airbnb and a further £10,000 from Women’s Aid.
Khan said: “I’m committed to working with partners to explore innovations to ensure survivors can access the care and support they need.
“We must also continue working with the Met to go after perpetrators of these heinous crimes.”
Women’s Aid staff will book accommodation on behalf of survivors using a secure system on Airbnb’s platform. Safeguarding checks have been carried out on all properties taking part.
Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Kaya Comer-Schwartz said emergency accommodation is ‘a lifeline for families fleeing domestic violence’, calling the pilot ‘an innovative step’ in the city’s wider strategy to tackle violence against women and girls.
The pilot follows a similar scheme launched in Manchester last year, which organisers say showed positive results.
Airbnb’s Director of Policy Strategy for EMEA, Velma Corcoran, said the company was ‘proud to use the strength of its network to support survivors at a crucial time’.
City Hall said the London pilot will run until the end of 2025 and, if successful, could pave the way for further partnership projects to support survivors.
The mayor’s Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Programme has already provided support to more than 40,000 survivors since 2021, backed by £54 million in funding.
Anyone affected by domestic abuse can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
Join the discussion