Philadelphia’s effort to regulate the short-term rental industry is shrinking the number of available offerings on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. Philadelphia’s Department of Licenses and Inspections reports that since the crackdown on unlicensed operators began in July, more than 1,850 hosts have been delisted from platforms like Airbnb and VRBO. The new laws reinforce a long-standing, but little enforced, regulation requiring a hotel license for properties operating short-term rentals where the owners don’t reside. That’s illegal in most of the city, requiring operators — many of whom have been in business for years — to go to the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment to make the case that they should be allowed to get the necessary permit anyway. Read more in the Inquirer.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 10/10/2023