Washington Examiner – Warren, Feinstein go after Airbnb for hotel lobby
April 20, 2017 Three top Democratic senators were working with the hotel industry when they wrote a letter to the Federal Trade Commission last year urging it to investigate Airbnb and others in the “sharing economy.” The letter from Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Dianne Feinstein of California and Brian Schatz of Hawaii was part […]
The Daily Telegraph – Law change to lockout Airbnb party animals
April 20, 2017 THE state government is considering empowering body corporates to more easily crack down on owners who let out apartments, via services like Airbnb, to party animals. The government says more consultation is needed around the Airbnb issue but has so far offered qualified support to changes that would allow “short-term rental accommodation”. […]
Honolulu Civil Beat – Competing Airbnb Bills Set Off Lobbying Battle
April 20, 2017 The Legislature is on the cusp of passing two bills that will allow online accommodation brokers such as Airbnb to serve as tax collectors for the state. Although both bills could enable the state to rake in revenue that’s now eluding tax collectors, the bills are vastly different in their details – […]
Associated Press – Indiana House falls just short of passing pro-Airbnb bill
April 19, 2017 The Indiana House narrowly failed to pass a proposal Wednesday that would have banned local governments from regulating short-term rentals like Airbnb, likely imperiling the measure for the session. Rep. Matt Lehman’s bill was an attempt to navigate regulations on short-term rentals amid a changing market, which he says would protect the […]
The Hill – Airbnb fires back at hotel industry
April 19, 2017 Airbnb is hitting back after the hotel industry touted its lobbying efforts against the online room-sharing service. The company’s head of policy, Christopher Lehane, accused hoteliers of price-gouging customers and called their fight against Airbnb a “campaign to punish the middle-class” in a letter Wednesday. It’s only the latest salvo in a […]
Hawaii News Now – Hawaii legislative tourism leaders discuss vacation rentals
April 17, 2017 The chairmen of Hawaii’s House and Senate tourism committees expect to meet in the upcoming week to resolve differences over vacation rental tax bills that have passed their respective chambers. Both bills would enable websites like Airbnb to collect state taxes on behalf of people renting rooms and homes. Short-term rental operators […]
Daytona Beach News-Journal – Vacation rentals bill heads to Senate committee
April 16, 2017 Flagler County’s fight against state bills that would block local regulations against short-term vacation rentals continues Monday. Senate Bill 188 goes before the senate’s Community Affairs committee for a second time Monday afternoon. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. inside the Senate Office Building in Tallahassee. Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed is […]
Houston Agent Magazine – Houston Airbnb guests to pay new hotel occupancy tax
April 17, 2017 Starting May 1, Airbnb guests in Houston will be charged a 6 percent hotel occupancy fee. This comes after years of criticism from the American Hotel and Lodging Association that Airbnb operates like illegal hotels that evade hospitality regulations that provide it with unfair advantages. Laura Spanjian, Airbnb’s public policy manager for […]
Fox 8 Live – City threatens non-compliant short-term rentals with fines, power disconnection
April 17, 2017 The City of New Orleans will start cracking down on illegal short-term rentals heavily starting May 15th, and officials recommend homeowner to get in compliance or face the risk of getting their power turned off. “Besides the fines, they can pull your meter so you don’t get power. That’s pretty strong. No […]
CNBC – Inside the hotel industry’s plan to combat Airbnb
April 17, 2017 Last year, Airbnb underwent a rough regulatory patch. The short-term rental company became a Federal Trade Commission target last summer after three senators asked for an investigation into how companies like Airbnb affect soaring housing costs. In October, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York signed a bill imposing steep fines on […]