Chicago aldermen are seeking to suppress unregulated and unlicensed home lessors who rent out their houses through Airbnb interface.
Airbnb has grown considerable that it has been dubbed to 'replace hotels' as preferred choice of accommodations of travelers worldwide. The 2008-founded website already garnered over 1.5 million listings and 40 million guests around the globe. It is in this light that law-makers and implementers are looking to have the lessors license their room rentals.
There are currently at least 3000 listings on Airbnb from Chicago alone. Apprently only 200 of the 3000 listings are licensed properties according to DNAinfo. Aldermen say that such house rentals poses an unfair advantage over hotels and that they sometimes become nuisance on the neighborhood, as some residents co-signed a letter sent to city's Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection.
Alderman Brendan Reilly said, "You don't need an inspector to google 'Airbnb.' There is money literally sitting on the table. Bringing Airbnb into compliance is really within our grasp."
An email from Mika Stambaugh , a spokeswoman for the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection," "As with any new industry we are looking to implement a license and regulation structure to ensure safety for all residents and visitors to the City." (Chicago Business)
Other websites and applications similar to Airbnb such as Uber and Lyft have been a hot topic lately as the regulations on this type of services are still vague and sometimes not available at all. The attention given to unlicensed rental homes can be beneficial to vacationers especially in terms of their safety.
Although in the case of Chicago, licensing has been enacted on short-term vacation rentals in January 2011, before the Airbnb boom prospered. The license calls for a $500 fee, renewed every two years, and some basic standards for operation including regulations on cleanliness, serving of alcohol, and number of guests allowed per room.
Have you tried Airbnb? How was the experience?
