INTERIM. Private Property Rights + Sharing Economy. Local Regs from the Northwest.

Which city in the Northwest is proposing new short term rental ordinances? Seattle

The intel you need to know:

What opponents to Seattle’s regulations say:

• Seattle’s regulations “deprive [Seattle property owners] of our ability to keep ourselves afloat” during hard times
• Harming people who provide inexpensive accommodations to visitors to Seattle, who then spend money in Seattle
• Disrupting Seattle’s social fabric by allowing short term rentals that bring people into neighborhoods who don’t care about the neighborhood

What supporters of Seattle’s regulations say:

• Allows “part-time entrepreneurs to thrive while reining in large-scale, commercial operations”
• Bed and breakfast owners say the regulations level the playing field

What the regulations say:

• Only property owners, who are renting out their homestead, would be able to legally offer short term rentals year round
• Property owners, not renting out their homestead, would be capped at 90 days during 1 year

Seattle Times | Airbnb, other short-term rental hosts speak against proposed Seattle rules