Hello All, does anyone have a good referral for a home sharing attorney in Chicago?
Thanks!
I dont know how long you’ve been in business. But let me tell you this: no matter which attorney you get, the rules are squewed AGAINST small people (those who don’t have Hotel permits, or STR permits nor a “Friend” working at the municipality/gov officials).
I have friends who tried e-ver-y-thing to try and do their business “by the book”.
There was this one friend, a lawyer, he bought a building, with zoning law saying “office use”, and he sent a Permit request for STR. The gov. said “no, cs its a NON residential”. Sure enough, the guy then starts to get zoning law to allow Residential use of his building. Gets all the paperwork in order. Next, he files the request for STR permit, again. Wana know what happened? he got turned down! with a bogus reason about “there is no gov backing for his additional location”.
He went through all the building refurbishment to get it accepted as a “residence”, he put his trust into the “system”. And all he got was a big NO.
Sometimes, when i hear Trump speak about the Swamp… i actually start to understand the man. The rules / permits for little people are just not accessible at all, even if you DO do everything 100% as per the book, you’ll still get denied access to permits.
All of them got burned. The minute they open up to some official to disclose about the address they plan to do short term rentals / hotel/ home sharing? they immediately end up on a “black list”, they start getting excessive visits from law enforcement officers (building code for instance have them, to guard against splitting up buildings etc)
Stay away from trying to turn the things official. Those paths are not for “normal mom & pop people”. They put the trajectory out there on their websites, but the truth is: nobody, except big universities etc have ever --actually-- gotten their Home sharing etc permits granted!!! The minute you enroll your address into their system, they’ll harrass you with visits until you give up and stop.
You have way, way, way, too much trust in the “system”.
A wee bit of hyperbole here mayhaps? I suspect that there are many hosts on this forum that have been granted STR licenses.
I’m not questioning whether you personally have had trouble, but to say “nobody…ever” is just not true.
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I agree. We’ve received our license and only operate by the book and have encountered no problems. I’m considering submitting for a Commissioner"s Adjustment and want to consult with an attorney how to navigate the process and submission.
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You talk way, way, way, too much nonsense.
You’re like the the old Spanish women who sit in my plaza of a morning, harbingers of doom to the last señora.
Oh woe, all our guests are out to steal/murder/pillage our properties, and if that’s not bad enough, the government won’t issue STR permits so not only will I be robbed/murdered/pillaged, I’ll be illegal while doing it!
If STR is such a hard gig, why do you do it?
@William_Gibbs Sorry William, no idea how to help, but nice to know you’ve beaten “the man” and are legal, like most on here 
JF
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He claims he does it but it all sounds a bit OTT, even by slumlord standards. But assuming he is a host, there is a vast difference between the hosts here with 1-3 listings and the management of former residence buildings that have been turned into ad hoc hotels by investors. It also sounds like he is hosting in a place with a big party atmosphere like Barcelona, Amsterdam or East Berlin.
My guess is that he’s trying to sell some sort of STR smart home system with biometrics, cameras, thermostats, etc.
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If STR is such a hard gig, why do you do it?
well, i don’t!! (it’s illegal too, and the only ones who DO do it, are renters who can’t be bothered about rules, and don’t know about the STR police squads that roam around town handing out 80k euro penalties)
I do LTR. Meaning from 1 month and up. It’s fantastic. Especially now that nobody can sublet the places, ever since i put “door men” bots in front of them.
You see, i had this problem: i was doing everything by the “book”, but my tenants weren’t that law abiding and still ended up getting me fines, because -they- were caught subletting, in flats, where i forbid it! (and government too)
The problem is that there’s almost 100% to be made on my prices, if you sublet them, and even more if you overcrowd them.
But NO MORE. NOOOOO MOOOOORE!!! and YES.
I’m quite happy, actually.
Oh, and i did have a chance to get an STR permit 8 years ago. But those would disallow LTR (forcing you into STR only biz). And i’m glad i never sign up, i’d still have to guard the flats against marijuana smoking renters. Another problem of STR. I’ve got it all sorted out. 
I am not trying to sell anything.
I am however very very very happy, that i finally got rid of the ONE problem i had: tenants which sublet my places without my permission (and airbnb call centers always asking me to be “understanding” of this misbehaviour).
I installed tenant verification systems, and ever since, they can’t even sublet --even-- if they tried or wanted to.
I suddenly no longer have sleepless nights after panick calls from tenants about law enforcements squads at their doors…because they don’t ever show up again!!! never again, a risk of an 80k penalty for overcrowding. No marijuana parties ever again. No illegal parties.
Yep.
I’m happy. Very happy.
Just wished i had found this simple solution sooner. I spent years fighting airbnb callcenters, past 4 years as a landlord were the worst of my life (to the point i turned down people when “Sensing” they’d mean trouble). But finally, good times are here.
But maybe, every other host on this forum, has zero troubles shelling out 80.000eur? maybe it’s just me, who is “too poor” to shell out that kind of money? Well, i’m not a Hotel Chain, so i do NOT have a spare 80k euro, for each of my flats, to pay to the government, every single time they ring a doorbell and my tenant open up with an “overcrowded home / with tourists”!!! Shoot me, for NOT wanting to shell out 80k, and worrying to death about it for 4 years. I already had to shell out smaller fines (20k, happened 4 times) and so enough, is enough. I’m in this to make money, and not to end up losing all my cash over a bunch of disobedient renters!!! (i even caught subletting “real estate brokers”, go figure!)
I don’t even understand your posts. 90% of the members here own their own property and have one vacation rental, or rent rooms in their home. No, we can’t afford 80,000 euros fines. We also have never been fined.
I’m sure there is a forum for folks who do what you do: turn former apartment buildings into ad hoc hotels. They would appreciate your brilliant discoveries and zen like transcendence more than we do.
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My money is on Amsterdam. LOL.
@seenitall I am finding your long posts and negative attitude very trying. Most of us here don’t have 50 properties and “biometric” whatever. Most have one home - a couple rentals maybe - and we believe in home sharing.
Why are you here exactly?
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