The front lines of the short-term rental wars shift to the city of Boston.
Tim Logan reports: "Airbnb has filed a lawsuit in an effort to overturn Boston’s new short-term rental law, and is asking a judge to block the stringent rules from taking effect on Jan. 1."
"Under the rules set to take effect in January, Airbnb investors and apartment tenants would be prohibited from renting their homes by the night, and property owners would not be allowed to list more than one unit on the website," according to Logan.
The city of Boston approved its regulations to counter the proliferation of investor-owned properties listed on short-term rental sites like Airbnb. The city also believes the number of short-term rental units in the city is exacerbating the city's housing affordability crisis. In response, Airbnb is claiming that the city's regulations violate the federal Communications Decency Act, which, according to Logan, "protects online platforms from being penalized for third-party content," as well as the First Amendment.
Read the full story: Airbnb sues city over rental rules
Boston Mayor Wants to Limit Short-Term Rentals
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh thinks short-term rental companies like Airbnb are having a negative effect on the city's housing market, and he'll walk a fine line to regulate the industry.
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