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In many states, the tide appears to be turning against short-term rentals. With restrictions on short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and Vrbo, on the rise, businesses operating short-term rental properties are running out of...more
In a ruling that could affect short-term rental owners and municipalities across Massachusetts, the Supreme Judicial Court (Court) held in Styller v. Zoning Board of Appeals of Lynnfield, (June 7, 2021) that short-term...more
During the eleventh hour of the 2020 legislative session, the California Legislature approved 2 significant bills in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with the potential to have far-reaching ramifications for mortgage...more
The number of Airbnb listings in Boston has been cut in half due to local ordinances regulating the operation of short-term rentals. Boston is not the only city pushing back on Airbnb, a company that is battling local city...more
In recent years, online platforms like Airbnb and HomeAway have made it easier for property owners to enter into the short-term rental market, which allows property owners to generate supplemental income and defray the cost...more
In the not-so-distant past, if you wanted to get from one place to another without a car of your own, you would call a taxi, with your only choice being which of the many taxicab companies to call upon. Now, of course,...more
Vacasa is the First STR Platform to Directly Connect to Google Hotels - ("Google Signals Its Vacation Rental Ambitions With Vacasa Direct-Connect," Skift Travel News on Sep 5, 2019) Big news from our friends at Vacasa...more
Seattle Delays Registration Deadline for STR Operators. Again. ("Seattle delays deadline again for Airbnb operators to register," Seattle Times on Aug 29, 2019) The City of Seattle has again delayed the deadline for...more
The advent of the shared economy in the real estate context has provided homeowners and investors alike with expanded opportunities to generate revenue from the use of their real estate. Airbnb and VRBO are two of the most...more
Vacasa Nearly Doubles Real Estate Footprint - ("Vacation rental platform Vacasa will pay $162M to acquire Wyndham Vacation Rentals," GeekWire on Jul 30, 2019) We learned last week that Portland-based Vacasa plans to...more
Sonder Reaches Unicorn Status - ("Airbnb competitor Sonder says after new funding round it’s now worth $1B," Real Deal - LA Real Estate News on Jul 11, 2019) Congratulations is well-deserved for Sonder, which just...more
Airbnb Goes Luxe - ("Airbnb dives into ultra-high-end rentals. Here’s what brokers think," Real Deal - LA Real Estate News on Jun 2, 2019) - Last week, Airbnb announced it was rolling out Airbnb Luxe, a vertical featuring...more
Colorado’s 2019 legislative session ended with numerous changes impacting the rights and obligations of residential landlords and tenants. Some of these changes are discussed below....more
Disney Works its Magic for STRs - ("Anaheim leaders are reversing their ban on short-term rentals that offer an alternative to hotels to tourists to Disneyland and the area," OC Register - Business News on Jun 5, 2019) ...more
Airbnb poised for a reprieve in the EU - ("Why Airbnb Could Escape the Uber Trap in Europe," Fortune Magazine on Apr 30, 2019) The Court of Justice of the European Union is considering whether Airbnb was breaking the...more
This week’s Short-Term Rental Update features a number of interesting topics, including these highlights...more
Airbnb Back in Court - ("New rules don’t seem to be bringing Boston many short-term rental applications," Curbed - Boston on Apr 10) Earlier this week, Airbnb was in court arguing that the City of Boston’s short-term...more
HomeAway and Airbnb Lose the Battle Against Santa Monica - ("Airbnb Loses Major Fight Over California City's Rental Law," Bloomberg Quint - Stories on Mar 13, 2019) On March 13, the Ninth Circuit ruled against HomeAway and...more
This week, the first statewide short-term rental regulations were signed into law in Massachusetts with a number of crucial details. We also note that big money is moving into the startup funding world, which indicates...more
This week’s OTA & Travel Distribution Update for the week ending January 19 is below. This week’s Update includes a heavy dose of short-term rental stories as well as details on Italian regulators’ recent efforts against...more
Last April, my colleague Anthony Guardino blogged about the Town of Southold’s local law banning “transient rental properties”, which Southold defined as dwellings that are rented out for less than fourteen nights at a time. ...more
Following his transfer to Houston, Ruel Benda decided to keep his posh gated neighborhood Rodeo Drive house and started advertising it on AirBNB. His profits were so good that he began renting for 7 days or less. Insisting...more
Knowing Local Laws and Rights for Short-Term Rental Success - Services such as Airbnb and VRBO offer service-sharing alternatives to traditional hotels and rentals. Indeed, these online platforms now provide a...more