The District of Columbia has approved final regulations for short-term rentals like Airbnb that limit rentals to owner-operated units and cap vacation rentals at 90 days.
Washington, D.C.'s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) has finalized regulations governing short-term rentals in the District. As Nena Perry-Brown reports, the new rules state that "short-term rentals must be operated by the owner of the unit, and each owner-host must acquire a short-term rental license from DCRA." The regulations also allow hosts to rent their home as a vacation rental for up to 90 days.
Critics accuse short-term rental companies of exacerbating the housing crisis by reducing the number of units available for long-term renters and spurring gentrification. Meanwhile, residents in neighborhoods with short-term rental properties have expressed concerns about parking, congestion, noise, and crime. One study showed that short-term rentals caused a 2.2 percent rise in single-family home prices in the D.C. area, with prices in one popular zip code spiking by 12 percent. As the popularity of platforms like Airbnb grows, cities have imposed regulations to limit the impact of short-term rentals on neighborhoods, traffic and parking, and the housing market.
Read the full story: DCRA Releases Final Short-Term Rental Regulations
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