The Massachusetts Legislature approved a tax on short-term rentals in July 2018 only to have Governor Charlie Baker amend the bill. The amendments proved only a temporary setback.
"Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill on Friday that will tax and regulate short-term room rentals like those rented through Airbnb," reports Shira Schoenberg.
The legislation finally reached the finish line after moving in fits and starts throughout the year.
"The new law will apply the 5.7 percent hotel room tax to short term rentals, with an exemption for those who rent out their rooms for 14 days or less. Cities and towns can choose to add an additional 6 percent local excise tax (6.5 percent in Boston) and a 3 percent community impact fee, with an additional 2.75 percent fee levied in Cape Cod," according to Schoenberg.
FULL STORY: Gov. Charlie Baker signs bill taxing and regulating Airbnb in Massachusetts
LA Officials Struggle to Enforce Short-Term Rental Rules
Hundreds of rent-controlled units are being illegally rented out as short-term rentals, pushing out long-term renters and exacerbating the city’s housing crisis.
Proposed Short-Term Rental Tax Would Fund Affordable Housing in California
A state bill would impose a tax similar to a hotel tax on short-term rental owners, with the revenue funding affordable housing projects.
New Short-Term Rental Rules to Take Effect in Philadelphia
The new rules are an attempt to get a handle on the short-term rental industry, which, due in part to little enforcement of existing regulations, has yielded ‘bad actors.’
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association