Hi Daria - There is nothing right now beyond regular income tax (AirBnB reports it to the government). However, change is coming. Per feedback from one of the city councilors from earlier this week:
-----
Thank you so much for reaching out and sharing your thoughts on short-term rentals in Boston. I, like you, am an AirBnB user. My family has gone on some wonderful vacations that were more affordable and more enjoyable because we rented a home-share through the platform. I also hear from many constituents who use AirBnB or other short-term rental platforms to rent out an extra room in their home to be able to pay the mortgage, or their entire home while they’re on vacation to help pay for the vacation. Tourism is important to Boston’s economy, and many hosts take pride in connecting visitors to local neighborhood restaurants and shops to support these local businesses.
As policymakers, our goal on this issue is to balance the benefits of home-sharing with the very real housing crisis that Boston is dealing with. Too many across the city are struggling to afford a place to live. There are many forces driving this, but an unregulated short-term rentals market is one unmistakable piece of accelerating displacement. In addition to the residents using AirBnB, there are investors and companies that have taken entire buildings or multiple floors of buildings to operate de facto hotels where it would be illegal to have an actual hotel because of residential zoning laws. Taking this housing stock off the market means fewer long-term residents to build community, and it tightens our vacancy rate and puts more pressure on rising housing costs. The current unregulated status quo means that some corporations and individuals are exploiting a loophole to illegally operate de facto hotels out of our housing stock, displacing long-term renters for private profit.
I’m glad that AirBnB is encouraging stakeholders to get involved in the legislative process, but I’d like to clarify some misinformation in the email that the company sent out yesterday. There has been no new proposal since Mayor Walsh’s proposed Short-Term Rentals ordinance was withdrawn in March, and no current or previous proposal has ever discussed a 30-day cap. Councilor Lydia Edwards and I had proposed an amendment to the Mayor’s ordinance with reasonable regulations to close corporate loopholes for de facto hotel use while allowing residents to continue home-sharing.
No matter what is proposed next, the City Council will have a full public process with opportunities for public testimony. The best way to stay updated on this process and other issues under discussion is to follow my weekly Council meeting notes newsletter — I’ll add you to the email list and you can also read when I tweet it out each week (I’m @wutrain on Twitter). Thanks again for contacting me!
