Mashable – No vacancy, How Airbnb’s New York City problem is just getting worse
April 3, 2017 When Airbnb was just two years old, it made a choice to ask for forgiveness from New York, not permission. Back then, the home-rental site had barely raised its first round of funding. Just a year had passed since its founders handed out flyers for Airbedandbreakfast.com at President Barack Obama’s inauguration.It was […]
San Antonio Express News – San Antonio wants to rein in rowdy houses on Airbnb
March 31, 2017 Airbnb, the short-term rental service that upended hotel markets in New York, San Francisco and Miami, is starting to cut into profits for hoteliers in Texas and attract attention from local lawmakers. San Antonio officials, led by District 10 Councilman Mike Gallagher, are looking at regulating rentals on sites like Airbnb and […]
Richmond News – City of Richmond rules on short-term rentals
March 31, 2017 Following a series of back and forth reports over the past three months, Richmond city council has approved recommendations from its licensing department “to address concerns related to illegal, hotel-like operations and other negative impacts on neighbourhoods,” according to a news release… Source
Travel Weekly – Airbnb ‘used gagging order over £6,000 damage to flat used for rave’
March 31, 2017 Airbnb faces an accusation of trying to impose a gagging order to prevent a customer from describing how guests had destroyed his property during an all-night rave. The online accommodation sharing business told Luciano Dinulescu that it would refund him the full amount of more than £6,000 in damages only if he […]
Knoxville News Sentinel – Airbnb ordinance would require taxes, permits for owners
March 31, 2017 Owners of Airbnb properties and other short-term rentals in Knoxville soon will be required to obtain permits, pay hotel taxes and provide a contact person who can be reached 24 hours a day, if a new ordinance is approved. City officials will hold a public meeting for feedback on the seven-page draft […]
Observer (Opinion) – In Defense of Airbnb Regulation and Knowing Who Is in Your Neighborhood
March 31, 2017 In this era of heightened awareness and “see something, say something” directives, it’s wise for local communities to know if someone in town may be renting out their home or apartment through the proliferation of new short-term rental websites, such as Airbnb or FlipKey. Essentially, these short-term rentals are creating hotels in […]
New York Daily News – Illegal hotel on Upper West Side of Manhattan first to be fined under new law
April 3, 2017 The city has slapped an Upper West Side landlord with the first $5,000 fines under a new law passed to crack down on illegal hotels. Hank Fried was whacked with a dozen fines totaling $60,000 for advertising rooms in the Marrakech Hotel on Broadway near 103rd St., which the city says is […]
The Real Deal – Miami Beach condo buyer sues seller and broker over alleged Airbnb misrepresentations
March 30, 2017 Bahamian investor Martina Abosi wanted to get in on the Airbnb action in Miami Beach to help fund her retirement, so she set out to find a condo in areas of the city where short-term rentals are allowed. Instead, Abosi paid $330,000 last year for a unit in a 1960s mid-rise tower […]
Miami New Times – Miami Beach Has Collected Only 2 Percent of $5 Million in Short-Term-Rental Fines
March 30, 2017 Miami Beach hasn’t been shy about levying some of the nation’s highest fines against short-term-rental hosts. In the past year, the city has doled out more than $5 million in fines to home-sharing sites such as Airbnb and local residents who use them to rent out their homes. But actually collecting the […]
City Watch LA – Airbnb’s Contract with LA City Hall … and Why the Final Vote Is Probably a Farce
March 30, 2017 We knew that after all the usual rascals were reelected (except for a runoff in CD 1,) the next step is for our City leaders to wrap up the short-term-rental Ordinance with Airbnb and their progeny. What we have not known about, is the mysterious contract that the City entered into with […]