Fairbnb News, Housing Issues
July 25, 2016
Travel website Trip Advisor said interest in the short-term Toronto rentals listed on its site has skyrocketed, up 350 per cent compared to last year. “It’s considered one of the best cities now in the world and people are coming from everywhere, and I think this is a product of that,” said Toronto real estate agent Amanda Rix, estimating that a detached four-bedroom home in the Beach could easily rent for $500 a night.For homeowners, it’s a compelling prospect compared to what they could make by renting to long-term tenants. Six said this may pose a problem for Torontonians looking for a place to live rather than visitors looking for a vacation.
“There won’t be many options for them … I think it’s great for homeowners … [but] pretty hard on the other end … as it usually is for the buyers and the tenants.”…
Fairbnb News
July 25, 2016
Airbnb is currently having some trouble in New York. Lawmakers there have recently put the hammer down on the home rental service in a big way. Here’s one way Airbnb plans to fight back: The company is going to have a significant presence at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this week, aiming to curry favor with Democratic political figures. Airbnb’s DNC activities include a Tuesday panel on the sharing economy and a “five-figure ad buy” in Philadelphia to “bring Airbnb’s message from New York to the convention,” according to people familiar with the matter….
Fairbnb News
July 25, 2016
“Stunning, spacious corporate rental with panoramic views” is how Sherry Manning’s ad describes one of her five vacation rentals listed on HomeAway/VRBO. The Maryland resident has had vacation rentals in San Francisco for several years, since before they were legalized. Manning said she always tried to comply with laws, registering with the treasurer’s office as a small business and
remitting San Francisco’s 14 percent hotel tax. Then San Francisco made vacation rentals legal — and she didn’t qualify because she doesn’t live here. After the city – which has been working to beef up enforcement — cited her, she paid a penalty and switched all her
rentals to be 30 days or more, which makes them legal….
Fairbnb News
July 25, 2016
Sunnyside and Treat St. Clubhouse are among dozens of informal Airbnb hostels that cram visitors into houses and apartments at rates ranging from $50 to $80 a night per bed. The site’s worldwide reach and help with scheduling and payment processing implifies running these hostels….
Fairbnb News
July 25, 2016
Earlier this year, the city of Los Angeles stopped letting illegal medical marijuana dispensaries sign up to pay businesses taxes
because, well, they’re unlawful and, as City Councilwoman Nury Martinez explained, “We shouldn’t be making money off of illegal businesses.” This week, however, the city announced a deal with Airbnb in which the company will collect and turn over hotel taxes from short-term rentals booked through its website, even though the vast majority are illegal. So why is tax revenue from illegal short-term rentals OK, but not tax revenue from illegal pot shops? One possible answer is politics. Another is pragmatism….
Fairbnb News
July 25, 2016
Airbnb is calling in political reinforcements in its quest to get friendlier with cities. Just two days after adding former Attorney General Eric Holder to help craft a new anti-discrimination policy, Airbnb announced on Friday that the company is forming a new “Mayoral Advisory Board” consisting of four former mayors: Michael Nutter (Philadelphia), Annise Parker (Houston), Francesco Rutelli (Rome, Italy), and Stephen Yarwood (Adelaide, Australia). Airbnb hopes the move will help put a full-court press on cities around the world, as the $25 billion startup tries to convince them to pass regulations that allow homeowners to rent out their properties to short term visitors. That hasn’t always been easy: last month, the New York State legislature passed a law that would fine Airbnb hosts up to $7,500 and Airbnb had to sue its home city of San Francisco to avoid fines for unregistered hosts….
Fairbnb News
July 25, 2016
LISBON – Alfama, one of the oldest and most picturesque areas of Lisbon, is becoming a victim of its own charm. Short-term lets to tourists are driving up rents and driving out old residents. “They want to throw me out to rent my home to tourists,” complained retired salesman Antonio Melo, 70. His house has changed owners four times over the last year and his new landlord has just told him his lease will not be renewed. “Soon there will only be tourists in Alfama,” he said. Melo has lived in the district since he was five years old but now fears he will have no choice but to leave because his 600-euro pension won’t cover the rent of any property there. Local mayor Miguel Coelho echoed the concerns of many in Alfama. “Real estate speculation in Lisbon’s historic centre, which is particularly evident in Alfama, is causing a lot of stress,” he said. “House prices and rents are exorbitant and people are having to think about other options,” he added. The mayors of three of Lisbon’s central districts have called on the government to intervene urgently. They attributed spiralling prices to an “excessive proliferation” of short-term rentals….
Fairbnb News
July 22, 2016
Last week we reported on new tech tools that help keep illegal submitters out of your co-op or condo. Today we tell you why: A new report issued by Share Better claims that more than 28,000 Airbnb listings – slightly more than half of all New York City sublet offerings – constitute entire apartments, which violates housing laws. “Airbnb’s practices are swallowing up affordable housing units,” Public Advocate Letitia James said, adding that there needs to be more oversight of the business, amNewYork reports….
Fairbnb News
July 22, 2016
San Francisco’s gentrification wars have long fostered a certain element willing to make the debate over affordable housing extremely personal. During the first dot-com boom, members of the “Mission Yuppie Eradication Project” posted flyers encouraging residents of the once working-class Latino neighborhood to “vandalize yuppie cars”. During the current tech boom, as evictions soared, activists began using stencils to paint the sidewalks in front of certain buildings with an image of a suitcase and a message: “Tenants here forced out.” But throughout all the turmoil, San Francisco’s Chinatown – 24 crowded blocks that have endured as a point of entry for generations of low-income Chinese immigrants – has remained largely insulated from the rancor. Until now. In recent weeks, “Wanted” flyers have been posted around the neighborhood featuring the names and photographs of 12 individuals. The crime in question? “Airbnb’ing our community” and “destroying affordable housing for immigrant, minority, & low income families.”…
Fairbnb News
July 22, 2016
USE of Airbnb by business travellers grew by an eye-popping 249% last year, as they and their employers have become more comfortable with sharing-economy alternatives to hotels. But future growth is under threat from new laws, at least in certain American cities. New York and San Francisco have, by some measures, the most expensive housing in America. So it is no surprise that they are at the centre of the legal fight against Airbnb and its like. Illegal rentals, they argue, mean fewer apartments on the market, which keeps prices high and makes it harder for low- and middle-income residents to live there. Both cities have passed or are considering laws that could drastically reduce the number of Airbnb properties that are available….