All this stuff about IP addresses…doesn’t everyone have a Virtual Private Network account or use a Tor browser?
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“There is no risk of serious trouble or bankruptcy in our situation.”
Are you sure? Have you considered the financial liability of operating illegally? If a guest is injured on your property while you are in violation of local ordinance, neither AirBnB nor your homeowner’s policy (even if you have a separate commercial policy, which would be required) will have any financial responsibility due to your violation of terms, and you will be held solely responsible. I’m guessing both would drop you like a hot potato should the occasion arise, and AirBnB might even take action against you.
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I’m specifically talking about local permit laws, but thanks for your comments.
Well, you say you need the money, which leads me to believe you’re not independently wealthy. I certainly hope you have some way to meet any liability/obligations should there be a mishap while you are hosting illegally. I think we all have a responsibility to our guests, and I’d also hate for you to lose your home or future. Good luck figuring something out.
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I am not an expert on restrictions in your area. But try this on for size. Yes, it’s legal.
You may be permitted to rent out to longer term guests, such as co op students, medical residents, or anyone else for that matter. They sign a lease for 6-12 months. However you can’t control it if they leave early and you can’t really chase after them. The point is that you have a lease for an LTR, and it’s possible that is all your jurisdiction needs.
We are in a high demand area and are not encumbered by laws such as those in California, and that is an important factor. But nobody stayed the full term.
If they aren’t looking now, they will be…
You best bet is to get together with other Air and short term rental folks in your area and organize. Get to know your city council/county board members. Draft up a bill/ordinance that will allow home shares. I think that if there is local opposition you have a far better chance of getting local governments to adopt laws that allow short term rentals for owners who live on site than those who have multiple units and don’t live on the property.
But if you think you’re going to get away with flouting the law you’re going to have a rude awakening, because soon or later the sales tax/room tax folks will catch up with you, and there are usually huge penalties for not paying those taxes on time (where I live the tax totals 12%, and the maximum late penalties include a max of 25% of the tax, plus fines of up to $10k per quarter).
Organize!
No. no need. I don’t engage in illegal activities and I don’t run a business. I am a landlord, i dont have my own company per se. and I don’t have a vpn either.
i don’t see the need for tor, but maybe the OP would, especially for logging in.
Anyway, if they investigate you using tor will be very suspicious.
I wonder how the ‘law abiding’ hosts would feel if what happened to Airbnb in Japan happened in their territory. Airbnb lost 80% of its listings in July of last year. They only allow you to host if you’ve registered with a license that is nearly impossible to get unless you’re already a licensed hotelier.
Some of the things I heard is that lofts aren’t allowed and have to be boarded up.
You would have to display your “Public accommodation” license outside and all neighbors within 10 meters would have to be notified that your place is now an Airbnb.
You have to be on premises 24/7. You can’t leave the Airbnb without management staff for even a moment.
You have to provide translations of every piece of equipment in the home, hold safety briefings etc.
It kills any chance of entrepreneurship.
If you’re curious about one hosts experience:
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Airbnb-style-Hosting-is-Dead-in-Japan-by-July-2018/td-p/701945
The biggest reason why the new nationwide law and local regulations are set to snuff out the home-sharing industry: the license.
We have found on a number of Airbnb boards, news sites, and travel sites, where the following style of statement or advice is given, “just get your license, and you will be fine” or “use a lawyer, or agency, or magic unicorn, to help with the application process, and you are all set.”
It’s all complete nonsense; a carrot-in-front-of-a-donkey suggestion. “Just get your license” is meaningless if the steps to obtaining that license are crafted in such a way that no individual outside of being an actual hotelier, is ever going to qualify.
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I was told by a building inspector that they are now using this software in Portland, ME.
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Jees, we are lucky here we are able to host. Japanese not so much. In other big cities however hosts are allow to rent a certain number of months per year or something. Even that is better than what happened in Japan.
To the OP: can you however put it on other platforms or the notice you got is in general against STR? I recently heard about Lyric, a platform that is supposed to help people decide if hotels or abbs are better for them. they have agreements with landlords and guess what? ABB contributed a large amount of money to this.
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Ofcourse we only read the story of the poor guy hosting in Japan. How this poor guy is losing his income.
But he is not telling the full story. 95% of the properties that where on AirBnB are owned by foreign investors, living in China and Korea, taking housing meant for the Japanese of the market.
We are getting the same regulations now, and everyone is happy about it, except ofcourse the foreigners that are unable to host. (Our requirement for a license is that you have to live in the same town as your property, or have a full commercial license)
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