SoMa Startup’s Marketing Stunt Brings Attention to Possible Zoning Violations
SoMa startup Social Print Studio recently initiated a “marketing stunt” that may lead to a Planning Department investigation.
The company lets users print their Instagram photos onto buttons, greeting cards and posters. The marketing stunt involved the company listing private loft space inside its office for rent on Airbnb and offering a pillowcase printed with a picture of the guest’s face as a souvenir, the San Francisco Business Times reports. The stunt drew attention to the company’s space at 275 8th St in Western SoMa and it turns out the entire space may be illegal. The site is in a zoning district that typically prohibits office usage.
Additionally, renting out the space for a short-term stay would be illegal due to the short-term rental legislation passed earlier this year—legislation that Airbnb is quite familiar with. The Planning Department is opening a case to investigate. [SFBT]
