WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new poll discovered that most Americans believe that people and companies who use short-term rental websites like Airbnb and VRBO to rent out apartments on a short-term basis should be subject to the same basic zoning, health, and fire safety regulations that are complied with by all lodging businesses.
Short-term rental websites are increasingly moving away from true home-sharing, as more individuals and businesses rent out multiple properties, often year-round, just like a hotel. Commercial operators disrupt the fabric of communities and exacerbate the affordable housing crisis. This poll demonstrates that Americans from coast to coast are taking notice.
Key findings of the poll:
- 91% of Americans agree that individuals and companies using short-term rental sites to run a business should be required to follow local and community zoning, health and safety rules.
- 87% agreed they should be subject to the same safety and fire regulations as hotels.
- 85% agreed these commercial operators should be required to register with the city and pay taxes.
- Nearly three-quarters (71%) said that commercial operators should be required to provide access for the disabled in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“The results of today’s poll illustrate what we are seeing in communities across the country: Americans believe that short-term rental websites like Airbnb should have to play by the same rules as other lodging businesses. Communities that have been affected by unfettered short-term rentals know that they disrupt the safety, cohesion, character, and affordability of neighborhoods. As rents soar, these commercial operators profiteer off the suffering of working- and middle-class families pushed out of their homes,” said Lauren Windsor, Executive Director of American Family Voices.
“With the United States Conference of Mayors gathering this week for their annual meeting in Miami Beach, we hope our policy makers take note: American families want their homes and neighborhoods back, and are demanding common-sense regulation of short-term rentals.”
The poll was commissioned by AirbnbWATCH and conducted by Axis Research between June 14 and June 18, 2017. The online survey collected responses from 1,000 adults (18+ years old) in the United States.
