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airbnb ceo: "we really need to think through our impact"

former employee: "individual hosts are good for pr"

Here's what they're thinking through: that $86 billion post-IPO market cap

A former Airbnb employee told Reuters that hosts with single listings are for PR, a human shield for what short-term rentals have become: large scale commercialization and conversion of residential homes into tourist accommodations.


Today, it's big real estate business with absentee investors and corporations, miserable neighbors, and the loss of affordable housing. 


The Times and Forbes reported Chesky apologized for the impact on communities. He said he wants a “reset for everything and everyone" and a “serious audit” of who should rent what. Of course, the company also promised a "party ban" three times, so don't hold your breath. Every weekend, local taxpayers around the country still pay police to clear out 300-person COVID parties. 

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Short-term rentals are big business invading your neighborhood. 

WILL BARNSTABLE SELL OUT TOO?

The ad hoc Zoning & Regulatory subcommittee didn't protect residential neighborhoods. The Planning Board didn't. The final vote is the Town Council. Email council@town.barnstable.ma.us

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Short-term rental businesses: Barnstable's proposal takes away residential zoning protections

There will be nowhere you can live in town, no quiet street you can buy a home, where a real estate investor can't buy next door and operate a full-time Airbnb/Vrbo lodging business. The chair of the Zoning & Regulatory committee that approved the policy admitted it on May 3, NewsRadio 95 WXTK. 

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The Town said it has no idea what effect its investor-friendly short-term rental policy will have

In February, the proposal was presented to the Town Council. A question was asked: "Do we know the effect it will have on the town in 1, 3, or 5 years?" The answer was "No." Fact is, the Town's zoning change allowing commercial lodging everywhere, next door to you, is a Pandora's Box.

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Only 1/3 of hosts are real home-sharers, local business interests put them out front for PR

 These moms and pops, who often need the rental income, are used as "human shields" to distract from what short-term rentals are now: large scale conversion of homes into businesses by investors and corporations with 25+ listings. (We don't know anyone who objects to our traditional summer rentals.)

other DESTINATIONS PUT ZONING, HOUSING & RESIDENTS FIRST

Portsmouth, NH

The Hamptons, NY

Portsmouth, NH

This quintessential New England town has 18 miles of coast, lots of beaches. Transient rentals are, like hotels, not allowed in residential zones. 


Newport, RI

The Hamptons, NY

Portsmouth, NH

This 15-beach community bans short-term home rentals without the owner present unless it's in a district zoned for business, never residential.

The Hamptons, NY

The Hamptons, NY

Virginia Beach, VA

These diverse villages ban investor-owned transient rentals. Primary residences only, no rentals under two weeks, four unrelated adults max.

Virginia Beach, VA

Sanibel & Captiva, FL

Virginia Beach, VA

No offsite Airbnb "home" investors. Strict occupancy limits, and owners not physically present with "guests" must get a conditional use permit. 

Hilton Head, SC

Sanibel & Captiva, FL

Sanibel & Captiva, FL

With 12 miles of white sand beaches, tough regulation was inevitable. Among other things, five communities voted to ban short-term rentals entirely.

Sanibel & Captiva, FL

Sanibel & Captiva, FL

Sanibel & Captiva, FL

These Florida barrier islands protect residential zones. Home rentals require a minimum month-long stay unless it's located in a tourist district.

Cape Elizabeth, ME

NYC via Jersey City

Cape Elizabeth, ME

Noting the "incompatibility" residential neighborhoods and short term rental commercial use, this Maine destination says rent your primary residence only. 

New York

NYC via Jersey City

Cape Elizabeth, ME

Only owner-occupied STRs are legal with a maximum of 2 paying guests. Renting out entire homes or apartments for less than 30 days is illegal. Bye investors.

NYC via Jersey City

NYC via Jersey City

NYC via Jersey City

New York said "no," so investors invaded here for easy NYC access. Voters revolted. Now, rent the home you live in only, be present with guests.

Toronto

San Francisco, CA

NYC via Jersey City

Once a sure bet for real estate investors, operators are now only allowed to short-term rent their principal residences, where they actually live, and can prove it.

New Orleans, LA

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA

This tourist-dependent destination, from the French Quarter to the Garden District, bans investor-owned "homes." The Town Council vote: 7-0. 

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA

Airbnb HQ city forbids absentee investors. Rules: live in the home at least 275 nights a year, be present with renters, rent 90 days a year max. 

Lenox, MA

Springfield, MA

Lynnfield, MA

 If you live on site, you can short-term rent two rooms in your home rooms year round. If you don't? Airbnb the home 75 days a year only. So long investors!

Lynnfield, MA

Springfield, MA

Lynnfield, MA

In 2016, after a massive Airbnb mansion party with someone shot to death, the town passed an ordinance affirming residential zones don't allow STRs. 

Springfield, MA

Springfield, MA

Springfield, MA

A simple ordinance that solves everything without a zoning battle: all short-term rentals must be owner occupied. The bylaw takes effect summer 2021

Boston

Nantucket

Springfield, MA

Absentee investor-owned short-term rentals are banned, you only share a home you actually live in. Airbnb sued, then dropped the case.

Nantucket

Nantucket

Nantucket

Through the organization AckNow, our island neighbor is, like us, working to stop the invasion of STR investors and preserve housing. Stay tuned. 

Darien, CT

Nantucket

Nantucket

This town sends cease and desist letters when they spot a home listed on Airbnb, Vrbo, or other platforms. Lodging doesn't conform to residential zone  use.

Miami Beach, FL

Santa Monica, CA

Miami Beach, FL

Regulations include a mandatory sex offender registry check. Airbnb filed and settled a lawsuit, paid Miami's $380,000 in attorney fees.

Monterey, CA

Santa Monica, CA

Miami Beach, FL

No transient rentals in Big Sur & Pebble Beach, very limited in Carmel Valley. Enforcement scours sites like airbnb.com and others for violators. 

Santa Monica, CA

Santa Monica, CA

Santa Monica, CA

In this iconic community, you rent your actual home only. Airbnb and Expedia sued. U.S. Court of Appeals just upheld the absentee investor ban.

Hawaii

Daytona Beach, FL

Santa Monica, CA

So many beaches, experts just rank the 25 best. Hawaii has short-term rental zones, residential areas are protected. Maui is mulling a full ban.

Laguna Beach, CA

Daytona Beach, FL

Daytona Beach, FL

No transient "home" rentals in residential zones. Airbnb is required to delete these listings, (which the $38 billion company says it's super hard to do). 

Daytona Beach, FL

Daytona Beach, FL

Daytona Beach, FL

Airbnb-type rentals allowed only in zones where hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts are. After lawsuits and appeals, the rule was upheld.

Palm Desert, CA

Palm Springs, CA

Palm Springs, CA

An ordinance prohibits new STRs in residential zones. Existing permitted STRs  were given a phase-out period, after which they must cease to operate.  

Palm Springs, CA

Palm Springs, CA

Palm Springs, CA

The City Council said strict limitations preserve residential housing stock for, like, residents. Among other things, business entities can't run STRs.

Tahoe, CA

Palm Springs, CA

Rancho Mirage, CA

Enjoy winter skiing, summer swimming, and golf, but not in a residential zone: short-term transient rentals are banned except for commercial areas.

Rancho Mirage, CA

Cathedral City, CA

Rancho Mirage, CA

The City Council voted  to ban short term rentals in all residential zones except within Homeowners Associations that specifically approve them. 

Cathedral City, CA

Cathedral City, CA

Cathedral City, CA

Councilmembers in this Coachella Valley destination passed a law to phase out short-term rentals in residential zones by the end of 2022. It was unanimous.

Denver, CO

Cathedral City, CA

Cathedral City, CA

With 31 million visitors a year, Denver bans investor Airbnbs. Rental licenses are denied or revoked if it's found the activity hurts the neighborhood.

London

Amsterdam

London

Seeing “hollowed out communities," London enforces a 90-day-per-year limit on Airbnb-type rentals. Absentee investor-owners are banned.


Paris

Amsterdam

London

Rent your own home, but profiteers  with multiple properties are banned. There are limits on the number of days a home can be rented to tourists. 

Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Only the original Airbnb "homesharing" idea is allowed: rent a spare room in your primary residence, while you're there, 30 days max.

Spain

...and so many more...

Amsterdam

With tourists flooding neighborhoods, Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia were uninhabitable. No investor-owners, rentals in commercial areas only. 

Japan

...and so many more...

...and so many more...

After a national ban, Airbnb ran a $30 million marketing campaign and used relationships with real estate brokers and developers. Watch this space. 

...and so many more...

...and so many more...

...and so many more...

From Reykjavik, Iceland to Palm Beach, zoning officials, town councils, and citizen groups are pushing back to preserve quality of life. (Will we?)

EXPLAINER VIDEO: We all support traditional rentals

Get our 2 years of hard-earned Airbnb/Vrbo education in 20 minutes. We dug into Barnstable's short-term rental list, and made some interesting discoveries. Grab a cup of tea and watch, then email council@town.barnstable.ma.us

NANTUCKET IS FIGHTING STR INVESTORS TOO

This episode of Lower Cape TV's "Peak Time" highlights two citizen groups: Heather Hunt of BarnstableWatch and Julia Lindner of ACK-now Nantucket. 


The show runs about 30 minutes. Make tea. It's good. 

aDVaNCE TO 2:07 FOR LOCAL STR TALK

"Save Our Neighborhoods" podcast

Two BarnstableWatch members were guests on WOMR radio, Cape Cod.

Listen to podcast

TWO GREAT CITIZEN letters

Send your own to editor@barnstablepatriot.com Read more here.

Penn LTE (pdf)

Download

Jones Op-Ed (pdf)

Download

Advance to 1:07 for LOCAL STR TALK

DON'T BUY THE STORY THAT STRS build TOURISM.

They just shift tourists from commercial to residential zones

A 2017 Morgan Stanley study of Airbnb found it doesn't affect tourism, it simply shifts transients from hotels to residential zones. 98% of Airbnb users said they wouldn't change travel plans if a “home” was unavailable, they'd simply stay at a hotel, motel, or bed & breakfast.


The Economic Policy Institute is a nonpartisan think tank. Its study concluded Airbnb (and other de facto hotel platforms) bring negatives to local jurisdictions that outweigh any positives. It also reports that the benefits of investor-owned rentals accrue disproportionately to the wealthy: moneyed interests that snap up single-family homes to create income streams.


In 2016, New York enacted sweeping restrictions, but still enjoys record-shattering tourism. The same holds true coast to coast, from Newport and Hilton Head to San Francisco and Palm Springs.

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