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On Thursday, a New Orleans City Council member proposed the ban of short-term “whole-home” rentals, like the those that Airbnb advertises. Citizens have lately been unhappy with the market as it has driven up housing costs and tainted the historical authenticity of homes in the city.
The city is ultimately trying to target those who are buying homes solely for the purpose of renting them out, and address the problem of rowdy short-term guests as opposed to long-term ones.
The proposal won’t be voted on until April, but that isn’t stopping the opposing side from expressing their sentiments toward the issue. Renting out homes provides a form of income that many are dependent on, and in a statement for USA Today, Airbnb pointed out how “detrimental” this decision would be for those individuals.
The popular vacation rental sites that would be impacted are warning against the negative impacts that the city might feel if it chooses to pass the proposal.
In a statement for USA Today on the matter, HomeAway spokesman Philip Minardi said that, “this framework would jeopardize those responsible homeowners without cause, decrease tax collections, and prevent tourism dollars from being spread across the city.”
The proposal only applies to banning the rental of entire homes as opposed to partial home rentals, like guest houses or rooms within a home, as they tend to be the root of the problem that New Orleans hopes to address.
Other cities have grappled with similar issues and have come up with a variety of solutions for the problems. However, Airbnb made it clear that this solution does not take enough into consideration, saying that the proposal was “crafted in a backroom without input from key stakeholders.” All the while, the Council member who spearheaded the proposal, Kristen Gisleson Palmer, argued that there was ample discussion and public input considered.
Source: thepointsguy.com