THE EXCITEMENT AND DISRUPTION THAT "TECH" COMPANIES CREATE SHOULDN'T ABSOLVE THESE COMPANIES OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TO OPERATE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF OUR CITY ORDINANCES OR OUR TAX AND INDUSTRY REGULATIONS. We think Airbnb should adhere to its own policies (to operate legally) and actively participate in this by:
1) requiring their members to be in compliance with local laws and commercial insu
rance requirements, and
2) pay taxes aggregated from their member-host-activities and deliver these tax payments regularly to our City Treasury.
~~~~~~~quote
"In a frank interview with me, David Hantman, Airbnb’s Global Head of Public Policy said, “We can’t possibly keep up with the law in all the cities.”
That’s insane."
— http://www.huffingtonpost.com/skift/airbnb-new-york-city-law_b_2434298.html
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Since the inception of Airbnb and contrary to Airbnb's own policies, the Airbnb community has not been operating legitimately. Moreover, Airbnb and the City of San Francisco have not attempted to bring this new business model into compliance with our city's respected and valued governance. Airbnb is bringing the money hotels make into our residential communities, and while some residents are enjoying this, Airbnb is also bringing the problems---that hotels both create and face---into our neighborhoods. The Airbnb business model under Mayor Edwin Lee in the City of San Francisco is directly correlated to:
a) Negative impacts to the quality of life in our neighborhoods
b) Increased scarcity of residential units that are causing the cost of housing and rentals to skyrocket
c) Failure of our city laws to protect those adversely affected by their participation in Airbnb's 'sharing economy'
OUR SOLUTIONS
WE ADVISE OUR CITY TO CREATE, MAINTAIN, AND ENFORCE THE FOLLOWING UNDER THE CITY TREASURER:
1) A registry for all Airbnb members in our city that requires each member to show their compliance with:
a) City ordinances, industry regulations, zoning, and building codes
Commercial insurance requirements
b) If a renter, landlord approval
c) Future city prohibitions to disallow short-term hotel rentals in residences that benefit from affordable housing or the Ellis Act
d) Future city prohibitions from in-law units being used for short-term hotel rentals
2) A system that requires all third-party brokers of short-term rentals to file and pay local occupancy taxes, i.e., Airbnb to be required to collect and regularly pay taxes due the City of San Francisco from its own member-business activities
3) A responsive complaint registry system for residents to report problems in their neighborhoods
