Causal Effects of Urban Amenities on Airbnb Prices: A Hybrid Spatial Filtering Approach

ABSTRACT

We study the causal effects of urban amenities on nightly prices in short‐term rental platforms such as Airbnb. Prices are determined both by property characteristics and by their spatial location, which introduces complex local and neighborhood‐level variations. We analyze Airbnb listings in Broward County, Florida, using a two‐stage semiparametric framework with explicit spatial tuning. A generalized additive model captures nonlinear effects of property attributes and broad geographic trends, while a low‐rank Moran eigenvector basis filters residual fine‐scale spatial dependence. This approach provides a data‐driven framework to assess the spatially heterogeneous influence of amenities and neighborhood features, and offers interpretable insights into pricing strategies in densely distributed urban rental markets.