Proposed Legislation Would Heavily Regulate Airbnb Rentals in DC

• September 24, 2015

by UrbanTurf Staff

An Airbnb rental on Capitol Hill.

Hotel owners and employees are behind legislation aimed at heavily regulating Airbnb rentals in the District. The Washington Post’s Lydia DePillis reported on both proposed bills late Wednesday.

The first bill would restrict temporary rentals of apartments or houses if the owner isn’t present, and would also create a division within the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) to “oversee the District’s response to widespread or systematic conditions in the District, which threaten residents’ quality of life and demand special attention and to institute requirements for short-term rentals.” This bill has the backing of hotel worker union UNITE-HERE Local 25.

The second bill, backed by hotel owners, is less restrictive. It largely aims to prevent “superusers” or hosts that rent out several Airbnb units for business purposes. Both bills are sponsored by Councilmember Vincent Orange.

The regulation and legality of Airbnb rentals in DC is a topic that UrbanTurf has taken a close look at in recent years. The chart below was provided by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs in early 2014 when we asked what Airbnb hosts can do to avoid running afoul of city regulations. It is important to note that the information provided in the chart only covers the business and basic permits a person would need to avoid DCRA fines.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/proposed_legislation_would_restrict_airbnb_rentals_in_dc/10375