TO:

InterestedParties

FROM:

AirbnbPolicyTeam

DATE:

October19,2016

RE:

SensiblehomesharingpolicyrecommendationsforNewYork

Whilethetermsharingeconomymaybenew,itspromiseisdeeplyrootedinNewYorkspast.
Fromthecitys19thcenturyboardinghouses,tothefirstsubwayin1904andthelaunchofCiti
Bikein2013,NewYorkershavealwayspooledtheirresourcesforabetterqualityoflife.

Airbnbisshapingthenextchapterinthislong,successfultraditionbycontinuingthe
wellestablishedpracticeofallowingNewYorkerstosupplementtheirincomebysharingtheir
homes.InNewYorktherearetensofthousandsofresidentswhorelyonAirbnbtoturntheir
greatestfinancialliabilitytheirhomeintoanasset,withthetypicalAirbnbhostinNYC
comingfromthemiddleclassandearningapproximately$5,000peryearbysharingtheirhome
44nightsayear.Hoststakehome97percentofthemoneywhentheylisttheirhome.

Homesharingisevolving,andourlawsshouldevolvewithit.

Justaswechangedlawstoadaptfromthehorseandbuggyeratotheautomobileage,we
neednewlawsthatrecognizeandpromote21stcenturyhomesharingasaneconomiclifeline
forNewYorkers.

Unfortunately,currentstatelawdoesnotdistinguishbetweeneverydayNewYorkerswho
occasionallyrentouttheirhomestomakeendsmeetandillegalhoteloperatorswhoremove
permanenthousingfromthemarket.

Byembracingcomprehensivereformthatpromotesresponsiblehomesharing,wewillnotonly
helpthousandsofNewYorkerswhosharetheirhomesasawaytopaythebillsormakethe
mortgage,butwillalsosupportbusinessesincommunitiesfarbeyondthetraditionaltourist
hotspotofMidtownManhattan.

[SensiblehomesharingpolicyrecommendationsforNewYork]
1

INTRODUCINGSHARINGFORASTRONGER
NEWYORK

Tothisend,todayAirbnbisproposingacomprehensivesetofclear,fairrulesforhomesharing
inNewYorkCity: SharingforaStrongerNewYork.Ourplanisdesignedtoleveragethe
economicpotentialoftheinnovationeconomy,whileprotectingpublicsafetyandaffordable
housinginourcommunities.Wearecommittedtofosteringresponsiblehomesharinginthe
EmpireStateandlookforwardtoworkingwithelectedofficials,communityleaders,andthe
publicatlargetoenactcomprehensivereformthatachievesthatobjective.

Belowarethefivebasicelementsofourproposal:

I.ONEHOST,ONEHOME
AttheheartofourrecommendationsistheOneHost,OneHomeprovision,which
wouldlimitpeoplerentingtheirhometoonlyhaveasinglehomewithinthefive
boroughs.Thiswillhelptoensurethathomesharingdoesnotremovepermanent
housingfromtherentalmarket.Whilethevastmajority95percentofAirbnbhostsin
NYCalreadyshareasinglehome,asmallnumberhavelistedmultiplepropertiesona
fulltimebasis.Thatswhywevevoluntarilyremovednearly3,000listingsoverthepast
year.EnshriningtheOneHost,OneHomeapproachinStatelawwillenableregulators
totargetenforcementattrulybadactors,whileallowingeverydayNewYorkersto
occasionallyrenttheirownhome.

TofurtherdemonstrateourcommitmenttoprotectingpermanenthousinginNewYork,
Airbnbwillengineeritsplatformtoautomaticallypreventhostsinresidentialproperties
fromlistingmorethanonehomewithinthecity,startingonNovember1.

InadditiontoOneHost,OneHome,ourproposalwouldprohibitshorttermrentalsin
publichousingandlimitshorttermrentalsinrentstabilizedhousingbyallowingtenants
onlytorentuptotheleveloftheirrentsand/ortorequireaportionoftheirhomesharing
incometobereinvestedintoupkeepofthebuilding.

II.SIMPLE,MANDATORYREGISTRATION
SharingforaStrongerNewYorkalsoincludesasimple,streamlinedregistrationsystem
forshorttermrentalhosts.UnlikeSanFrancisco,whichrequiresanonerous,
paperbasedregistrationsystem,NewYorkwouldauthorizeonlineplatformslikeAirbnb
toregisterhostsontheStatesbehalf,whichwillincreaseaccountabilityandimprove
enforcementforregulators.Wewillalsoenhanceenforcementwhilepreservinguser
dataconfidentialitybymakingcommunitywidedataavailableonaquarterlybasisand
allowingforregulatorstoseekindividualuserdatasubjecttoappropriatelegalprocess.

[SensiblehomesharingpolicyrecommendationsforNewYork]
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WerecentlyworkedwiththeCityofChicagothethirdlargestcityinthecountryto
developanonlinehostregistrationsystem,andweareworkingwithothermajorcities
thatarelookingtoadoptasimilarapproach.

III.MAKINGHOMESHARINGWORKFORALL
InadditiontoensuringresponsibleNewYorkerscansharetheirhomes,ourplanalso
provideslandlordswiththeopportunitytosetclearrulesforshorttermrentalsintheir
buildingsandsecureaportionoftherevenuetosupportongoingmaintenance.This
programwasfirstpilotedinSanJoseandisnowintheprocessofbeingrolledoutin
citiesacrosstheU.S.,includingPhiladelphia,Chicago,Houston,Atlanta,Nashville,
JerseyCity,andAustin.

IV.GOODNEIGHBORRULES
Wealsobelievethattobeagoodhost,youmustbeagoodneighbor.ThatswhyAirbnb
alreadyprovides$1millionininsuranceaspartofourHostProtectionInsurance
ProgramandrecentlylaunchedourNeighborsTool,whichallowsanyindividualtonotify
Airbnbofcomplaintsconcerninghomesharing.

Otherstepsshouldbetakentohelpensurepublictrustandsafetyaswell,suchas
requiringallhoststoprovideinsuranceandrequiringplatformstocreateadedicated
24/7hotlineforneighborcomplaints.Inaddition,ourproposalimposesathreestrikes
policythatwouldbarahostfromrentingapropertyasashorttermrentalifheorshe
repeatedlyviolatescityand/orstateregulations.

V.PAYTOURISTTAXESTOSUPPORTAFFORDABLE
HOUSING
Lastly,ourproposalrequireshoststopayalllocalandstatelodgingtaxes,withonline
platformsauthorizedtocollectandremittaxesfromguestsontheirbehalf.Airbnbhas
craftedsimilartaxagreementsinnearly200jurisdictionsglobally,includingseveralhere
intheregion.Withthestatesblessing,thisnewrevenueanestimated$90millionper
yearinNewYorkStatecouldbeexplicitlydedicatedtotenantprotectionandaffordable
housingfromBuffalotoBrooklyn.

Already,manystatessurroundingNewYorkhavetakenstepstocollecttaxes,including
Pennsylvania,Connecticut,RhodeIsland,andVermont.Inatimeoffiscalconstraints,
citiesareusingthetaxestohelpfundpriorityprograms,includinghomelessness
preventionprogramsinLosAngelesandChicago.

[SensiblehomesharingpolicyrecommendationsforNewYork]
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MOVINGFORWARD
Foraslongaspeoplehavehadhomes,theyhaveopenedthemuptotravelers,welcoming
newcomerstotheirneighborhoodsandearningalittleextramoneyontheside.Infact,bythe
middleofthe19thCentury,nearlyhalfofurbanAmericansspentpartoftheirliveseitheras
boardersinothershomesorashostsintheirownhome.

Today,therevolutionsininformationandcommunicationstechnologyhaveledtoahome
sharingrevival,withAmericansfromcoasttocoastconnectingwithtravelersfromalloverthe
worldondigitalplatformslikeAirbnb.

SharingforaStrongerNewYorkisacomprehensiveregulatorystrategythatpromisestofoster
thegrowthofsafe,responsiblehomesharing,whilerootingoutbadactorsthatthreaten
affordablehousingandpublicsafety.Airbnblooksforwardtoworkingwithelectedofficials,
neighborhoodleaders,andadvocacygroupstoensurethatfamilies,businesses,and
communitiescancontinuetobenefitfromtheeconomicpromiseofhomesharing.

[SensiblehomesharingpolicyrecommendationsforNewYork]
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