Herald Tribune – Short rentals like Airbnb land in labyrinth of rules
April 15, 2017 As travel and short-term rental sites such as Airbnb grow in popularity and in number of participating hosts, sorting out just what is allowed and where for those renting their properties is a labyrinth of local rules. Despite a new deal between Sarasota County and Airbnb to streamline collections of the local […]
Miami Herald – Airbnb sues the city of Miami for going after hosts, enacting short-term rental rules
April 14, 2017 After threatening to crack down on Miami Airbnb hosts who spoke up at a city commission meeting, the home-sharing platform is fighting back — with a lawsuit. In a suit filed Friday afternoon in Miami-Dade County circuit court, Airbnb claims the city of Miami is both violating the First Amendment rights of […]
New York Times – Inside the Hotel Industry’s Plan to Combat Airbnb
April 16, 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 […]
BBC News – Airbnb account hijackers burgle homes
April 13, 2017 Airbnb is improving the security of its app and website after a BBC investigation found people’s homes had been burgled by scammers using stolen accounts. The BBC spoke to three people who were robbed after they advertised their properties on the accommodation-booking service. The scammers hijacked accounts with verified badges and changed […]
Delaware Public Media – New bill would charge lodging tax to Airbnb, VRBO, others
April 13, 2017 If you’re looking at beach house rentals in Delaware, you may pay a bit more this summer depending on where you stay. Short-term rentals like Airbnb, VRBO and even traditional bed and breakfasts and campgrounds don’t currently pay Delaware’s eight percent lodging tax like hotels and motels do. That would change under […]
Associated Press – Nebraska senators criticize bill limiting Airbnb regulations
April 13, 2017 Several Nebraska state senators are urging their colleagues to kill a bill they say would give Airbnb hosts an unfair tax advantage and create safety concerns. Senators adjourned without voting Thursday on a bill that would prevent cities from passing any regulations that could prohibit short-term rentals such as those booked through […]
Austin Business Journal – Airbnb guests to be charged hotel occupancy tax in Austin, across Texas
April 13, 2017 Airbnb guests in Austin will be charged a 6 percent hotel occupancy tax starting next month. On May 1, the home rental website will start collecting and remitting the statewide hotel occupancy tax as part of a new agreement with the state of Texas, the San Francisco-based company announced April 12. Texas […]
CBS New York – Jersey Shore Towns Seek Tighter Regulations On Short-Term Home Rentals
April 13, 2017 As the weather warms up, Jersey Shore towns are considering short-term rental regulations. As CBS2’s Meg Baker reported, some are looking to make it harder to rent homes for the summer. But others are welcoming the traffic. The beach, the boardwalk, the entertainment – what more could you want on a summer […]
Adam Ruins Everything Episode 24: Roy Samaan on Why Airbnb is Bad for Housing Markets
April 12, 2017 (60min. Audio) As our country is mired in a nation-wide housing crisis right now, we decided to dive into one of the many causes of this crisis: short-term rental companies like Airbnb. On this week’s podcast, Roy Samaan of LAANE, the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, tells us how shady […]
Torontoist – Airbnb is Making Toronto’s Terrible Rental Market Even Worse
April 12, 2017 While a growing number of Torontonians may not be able to afford extras like dinners out, theatre, or sporting events, at least the tourists still can. The same tourists who are throwing dollars into the city’s economy are putting a lot of pressure on Toronto’s short-term rental market, thanks to the soaring […]