Tensions between Airbnb and the city of San Francisco continue to mount as the city propose further restrictions on the service, even while the current restrictions are being challenged in court.
While San Francisco and Airbnb fight in court over existing regulations regarding short term rentals, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has recommended new 60-day hard cap on the time a home can be rented out. London Breed (the board's president) suggests the measure strikes a balance allowing renters to make, "decent money" without being generous enough to keep units out of the rental market. According to reporting from Joshua Sabatini in the San Francisco Examiner, "The legislation will also authorize nonprofit tenant advocate groups to sue over alleged violations."
For their part, Airbnb representatives have claimed that this new legislation creates more unnecessary burdens on the homeowners who use their services. "Instead of fixing the broken registration system, we are concerned this proposal will add one more barrier to compliance for hosts. We remain ready and willing to work with the city on meaningful solutions that protect housing and enable middle class San Franciscans to share their homes."
This conflict is likely to endure as long as a housing shortage in the Bay Area keeps rents high, for both short and long-term renters.
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