Last year, employees in Airbnb’s experimental design studio explored ways of manufacturing small homes for people’s backyards, to provide extra space for guests. But the effort, which hasn’t previously been reported, was mostly scuttled for now, said a person with knowledge of the situation.

Airbnb senior executives worried that the business model wasn’t proven and could cause a political backlash, if neighbors complained or it flouted zoning laws. Airbnb eventually could get into the financing of backyard homes, said a person close to the company.