Alderman: New Airbnb Rules Are Weak
An influential Chicago alderman says proposed new regulations to govern Airbnb in the Windy City need to be revised to better regulate the full-time operators making a killing off the service.
Ald. Michele Smith says the new rules don't differentiate between homeowners who occasionally list their homes on the service as vacation rentals and the operators who have turned multiple properties into revenue generators, DNA Info reports. Compared to regulations in cities such as New York City and Austin that place restrictions on the number of days Airbnb rentals can operate and the number of allowable rentals in a neighborhood, the latest regulations are watered down.
Smith is a vocal opponent of Airbnb and believes it and other home-sharing services are threats to the residential feel of Lincoln Park and other neighborhoods. [DNA]
