It’s been called “the end of Airbnb as we know it” and a “de facto ban.” That latter cry came via Airbnb itself, as New York City recently enacted a slate of tough regulations on short-term rentals after years of worry that the services were sucking up valuable housing stock and accelerating gentrification.
In New Orleans, where in some neighborhoods up to 10 percent of homes may be listed on sites like Airbnb, and in Phoenix, lawmakers are debating another round of new laws. Even small cities, like Bangor, Maine, are debating how best to short out short-term rentals, or STRs.