https://reasonstobecheerful.world/the-towns-outsmarting-airbnb/
"Late last year, New York City made headlines when it all but banned Airbnbs
and other short-term rentals within city limits. In August of 2023, Airbnb had
more than 25,000 short-term rentals listed in New York City. Tenant groups
across the city accused short-term rental platforms of hollowing out
neighborhoods and causing already-high rents to grow even higher.
“You would see tourists on the streets in neighborhoods where there weren’t any
hotels,” recalls New York-based artist and activist Murray Cox. The sound of
rolling suitcases could be heard at all hours. Once tight-knit communities
began to feel lifeless. When Cox ran the numbers on his own neighborhood —
Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn — he found about 1,000 listings. Cox also heard horror
stories from other parts of the city. “People would move into a building and
then find that the building was full of tourists day in and day out,” he says.
“In some cases, they would be so uncomfortable they’d feel forced to leave.”
So, in September of 2023, New York City decided to do something about it. A
series of bold requirements capped the total number of short-term rentals
(STRs) and limited guests to just two at a time. They required STR operators to
be primary homeowners — and to be present in the home while hosting. The city
also promised to enforce those requirements, a move that would wipe out nearly
90 percent of active listings at the time.
Though it may sound revolutionary, New York’s crackdown isn’t the first of its
kind. In fact, it’s part of a growing trend — one largely spearheaded by much
smaller towns. Over the last decade, communities from Irvine, California, to
Durango, Colorado, have implemented clever regulations, taxes and zoning
policies to hobble the STR market — or, in some cases, eliminate it altogether.
As the success stories pile up, a growing body of research points to the
dramatic positive impacts of policies like these, including lower rents, more
equitable housing markets and the promise of a sustainable tourism economy."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
