Cities pay them to find listings that aren’t legal/permitted/etc. so that they can fine them or shut them down. This is a well-known company that I’m aware of but I believe there are others.
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JJD provided the best answer to the first part of your question. The investigators don’t track the listings, but the compliance contractors who work for the government agencies, cities, and counties do track them. They will follow-up after sending notification letters to see if the host is relisting and to check and see if they have filed for the appropriate permits. Of course, some cities/counties have a 100% prohibition on certain types of STRs (even outside of situations like this pandemic). Other areas may allow certain types of STRs and place restrictions on them.
It is primarily a money grab on the part of the county offices. They want a piece of the sharing economy.
Some interior photos are more difficult to identify, such as photos with the shades drawn so we can’t see any identifying landmarks through the window, from balconies, etc. Things used to match interior photos to photos on Zillow are tile patterns, wood grain on cabinets, etc.
My advice, even if you’re operating a completely legit, licensed STR, is to still protect your property by making your listing look as generic as possible, while still inviting interest from potential guests. It’s tricky, but definitely a privacy and safety consideration.
Here’s another: Harmari dot com
If you have a single family residence, you might also considering contacting Google to “blur” your house’s photo on Google Maps. That is a huge pain for investigators as exterior photos from Google Streetview can be gold mines. Don’t forget to do the same on Bing. Search Google for instructions on how to do that.
I cringe whenever I see listings that have clear photos of the outside of the house, sometimes even with the house number in evidence. Not only is it risky as far as the business you were in, but it’s also a security issue- thieves can target STR listings, knowing there is a constant changover of people, and that travelers and tourists may keep more money, credit cards, and other valuables laying around than a resident. They may also be inattentive to locking up properly when they go out. In the touristy town I live in, hosts are constantly warning their guests that there is a lot of thievery here (as there is in many places where tourists flock to, especially if there is a huge dichotomy between the rich and the poor), to keep their valuables in the safe, to close and lock outside doors and windows if they are in another part of the house, to make sure to lock up well when they go out. But lots of the tourists are lax about this, and often pay the price.
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Very well said. A lot of people are careful in their listings, but the amount of personal information in a host’s bio, for instance, is often enough to tie them to the parcel record. So, even using your name isn’t that great an idea. The times we’re in, I guess. Guest reviews might even say something like “Joe and Linda were great hosts and their house is directly across the street from Pretty Park”. And the county official says, “Thank you. Noted.”
How is that done?
20202020
Google Maps
- Visit Google.com/maps and enter your home address.
- Look to the lower-right of the screen. You should see a little icon that looks like a yellow person in the tool bar.
- Click on that icon and drag it over to your address location on the map to access Street View.
- The map should be replaced by a picture of your home or business. If you don’t see your home, then move up and down the street or rotate the picture until you do. (If it still doesn’t work, then Google may not have an image of your home.)
- Click on “report a problem” on the bottom-right.
- Follow the directions, and fill out the form.
Bing Maps
- Visit Bing.com/maps and enter your home address.
- From the top of the map, drag the blue icon that looks like a person to your street. (Note: Bing requires installation of a program, Silverlight. If you street does not turn blue when dragging the “blue person” icon, then your house has not been photographed for Bing’s maps.)
- Click on the question mark at the bottom-right of the screen.
- Click “report an image concern.”
- Request that your home be blurred.
Yahoo Maps
- Visit Yahoo.com/maps
- Drag the gray icon that resembles a person (top-right) to your street. (If it won’t drag, then your street has not been photographed for Yahoo.)
- Click on “report image” at the bottom-left of the screen. It will take you to a different website.
- Click on “request blurring,” and follow the directions.
Beyond these steps, it is wise to follow up after several days or weeks to make sure your home has been blurred.
Above from:
This site is a bit of an ad fest, so only linked to attribute as I couldn’t be bothered typing all that out!
JF
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Bullshit. It’s a method used to enforce tax laws. Nothing “creepy and invasive” about it. Hosts attempting to avoid collecting and paying sales and bed taxes should be caught and should pay. I pay mine to my city every quarter.
The people that are being “creepy and invasive” are the folks who are violating local laws and ordinances, and we don’t need them tarnishing our reputation with their illegal behavior.
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Perhaps. I wish, though, there was some sort of finesse about the way some jurisdictions are going about the tax collection. I remember back to the simpler times of Airbnb when people were opening their homes to fellow travelers. It feels wrong to penalize someone like an empty nester who is renting their room for a night or two. I can see your point, though, when I see the companies that have sprung up who snap up condos in major cities and run tourists through like hotels. That sort of perverts what Airbnb was meant to be.
Still, I can’t help the way I felt. I felt like a creeper and like invading personal space and privacy.
Anyway. Thanks for letting me share my advice. Please stay safe, everyone.