San Francisco lawmakers voted on Tuesday to limit how often residents can rent out their homes on short-term rental websites like Airbnb or Home Away, setting the cap at just 60 days per year.
Residents who would like to rent out their home to visitors on a short-term basis – less than 30 days at a time – will only be allowed to do so for a maximum of 60 days per year, according to the new law, which is scheduled to take effect in December.
Currently, individuals can rent out their property for an unlimited amount of time if they remain in the home while they host. If the resident does not stay at the home while it is being rented, hosts may only rent out their homes for a maximum of 90 days per year, according to current law.
Residents wanting to rent out their San Francisco home on a short-term basis must also remain the primary resident of that home and register with the city’s Office of Short-Term Rentals, which requires a $250 fee every two years.
Hosts who registered with the city prior to November 16th are not subject to the new restrictions.
Airbnb spokesperson Alex Kotran had previously expressed frustration over the new regulations and what he viewed as the city’s flawed registration process for hosts.
“We are disappointed on behalf of the thousands of middle class San Franciscans who would be harmed by this arbitrary proposal that does nothing to fix the broken registration system,” Kotran said in a statement earlier this month. “We remain ready and willing to work with all parties to build a simple registration system that protects housing and enables residents to share their homes without endless red tape.”
Local
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved the new restrictions in a swift 7 to 3 vote Tuesday afternoon. Mayor Ed Lee now has 10 days to veto the law.
Lee would not comment on whether he intends to scrap the legislation, but his press office did provide a brief written statement to the Investigative Unit.
“The mayor will review the legislation when it arrives on his desk,” the statement said.
Currently, the board is one vote shy of the super-majority needed to override the mayor’s potential veto.
Supervisors Eric Mar, Aaron Peskin, London Breed, Jane Kim, Norman Yee, David Campos, and John Avalos voted in favor of the tighter restrictions. Supervisors Malia Cohen, Katy Tang, and Scott Weiner voted against the measure. Supervisor Mark Farrell abstained.
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Watch the entire series in this NBC Bay Area investigation:
- Part 1: Thousands Violate SF Housing Laws Using Airbnb, Few Face Penalties
- Part 2: Illegal Short-Term Rentals Can be Nightmare for Neighbors
- Part 3: San Francisco Lawmakers Could Soon Force Airbnb, Other Home-Sharing Websites to Make Major Changes
- Part 4: Airbnb Sues SF to Block New Law Aimed at Delisting "Illegal Rentals"
- Part 5: SF Law Targeting "Illegal Rentals" on Hold as City Battles Airbnb Lawsuit
- Part 6: Airbnb Heads to Federal Court Over Lawsuit Against San Francisco
- Part 7: Judge Raises Doubts Over Airbnb's Lawsuit Against San Francisco
- Part 8: Judge Orders SF to Hold Off on Airbnb Fines and Penalties
- Part 9: Airbnb and SF Meet Privately to Settle Bitter Lawsuit
- Part 10: San Francisco Limits How Often Hosts Can Use Airbnb
- Part 11: Airbnb's New Rules Abroad Could Impact San Francisco
- Part 12: SF Issues $1.1 Million in Fines to Hosts Using Rental Sites Like Airbnb
- Part 13: Thousands of Airbnb Rental Listings in SF Could Soon Be Purged
