SF Gate – Airbnb settles SF suit, agrees to register all local hosts
May 1, 2017 Airbnb and HomeAway settled a lawsuit against San Francisco Monday by agreeing to automatically register all their local hosts with the city. While a San Francisco law requiring vacation-rental hosts to register with the city took effect in February 2015, only about 2,100 out of an estimated 8,000 or more hosts have […]
Newsday – Senator hits Airbnb’s ‘astroturf’ lobbying effort
May 1, 2017 ALBANY — A day ahead of Airbnb’s big lobby day at the State Capitol, one senator accused the company of conducting a phony grass roots effort. Sen. Liz Krueger also ridiculed Airbnb’s upcoming rally as part of a push to increase the company’s valuation before making a public stock offering. “Once again […]
CTV News – Landlord stuck with $1,200 fine as tenants rent out condo illegally
April 29, 2017 Gerry Galiatsatos’ condo in the fashionable St. Henri area has proven to be a hit with travelers looking for a place to stay in Montreal but that popularity is now costing him more than $1,000. On the apartment sharing app Airbnb, the unit in the Imperial Lofts has been rented out at […]
The Independent – Rude guests, broken wi-fi and a lot of floor scrubbing – this is what it’s really like to be an Airbnb host
April 30, 2017 The secretary general of the UN World Tourism Organisation (I know, me neither) has news for hotels. Shut up about Airbnb: the sharing economy is here to stay. The hotel industry “should realize that it is not going to go away,” Taleb Rifai said at a Tourism Global Summit this week that […]
KTNV (VIDEO) – Airbnb renters upsetting Vegas residents
April 28, 2017 Residents are upset at houses in neighborhood being used for Airbnb. A man claims that his quite Las Vegas neighborhood is being disturbed by countless Airbnb renters and wants a change to occur. The man would like Mayor Goodman to pass a law keeping Airbnb out of residential communities. Airbnb’s popularity is […]
San Diego Union Tribune – Short-term rental hosts beware: city going after delinquent lodging taxes
April 28, 2017 Even as confusion still reigns over whether short-term rentals are legal in San Diego, the city plans to step up its efforts to collect back lodging taxes from home-sharing hosts, whether they’re renting out a spare bedroom or multiple properties at the beach. While the City Treasurer’s Office continues to audit, as […]
The Oregonian – Portland may subpoena short-term rental companies for host data
April 28, 2017 Portland is taking legal aim at another sector of the so-called “gig economy.” The Portland City Council is expected to weigh whether to give city regulators the authority to subpoena vacation-rental sites like Airbnb and HomeAway, compelling them to turn over information on hosts using the platforms to advertise rooms or homes […]
WAMU – 5 Takeaways From The Debate Over Regulating Airbnb And Other Home-Sharing Services In D.C.
April 27, 2017 Over a hundred residents and activists crowded the Wilson Building on Wednesday for a hearing on a bill that would regulate and restrict home-sharing platforms like Airbnb, HomeAway, FlipKey, and HomeAway. The bill, introduced by Council member Kenyan McDuffie (D-Ward 5), would establish new regulations for home-sharing, set high fines for violations […]
The Wall Street Journal – New York Lawmaker Introduces Airbnb Bill
April 30, 2017 A bill introduced this weekend by a Brooklyn state legislator would carve exceptions into New York state’s housing laws to allow for more Airbnb rentals, a year after the state cracked down on the home-sharing service. “This law puts New York in the 21st century,” said Josh Meltzer, New York public-policy director […]
CBC News – Montreal landlord fined more than $1K for condo listed on Airbnb without his knowledge
April 28, 2017 Montreal landlord Gerry Galiatsatos is joining a growing chorus of voices who say that Quebec’s law to regulate online home-sharing services such as Airbnb “is clearly not working.” Galiatsatos was shocked to learn that his downtown condo, which he rents out, was listed on Airbnb. In the last several months, his tenants […]