Post by High Priestess on Jun 5, 2019 14:30:31 GMT
The city of Mountain View, CA which is in "Silicon Valley", passed short term rental regulations and will begin to require hosts to register with the city.
www.mv-voice.com/news/2018/10/21/new-registry-fees-ahead-for-airbnb-rentals
www.mv-voice.com/news/2018/10/21/new-registry-fees-ahead-for-airbnb-rentals
The new ordinance approved in October 2018 would create a mandatory citywide registry of all short-term rentals. As part of that registration, hosts would be required to pay the $165 annual fee and comply with city rules. In particular, a rental unit not occupied by a host would be prohibited from being rented out for more than 60 days per year. City staff had initially suggested stipulating a 90-day limit, but Mayor Siegel and others thought it wasn't enough to discourage homeowners from taking housing off the market.
If hosts are living at the property while taking in guests -- say, by renting out one room in their house -- then they will be allowed to operate as many days as they want. Council members stipulated last week that this exception should include homes with accessory units -- that is, separate domiciles built on the property of a single family home. As long as the host is staying on site, then the extra unit can be rented out with no limits. [note that in many cities, extra units such as these are NOT allowed to be rented out as STRs]
Perhaps more importantly, services like Airbnb will have to start paying transient-occupancy taxes, a 10-percent fee on bookings at hotels and other traditional lodgings. Based on estimated 2017 revenues from short-term rentals, city officials believe Mountain View will receive at least $1.26 million a year in additional tax revenue. Over the coming months, city officials say the will be setting up an arrangement with Airbnb to have the company collect taxes on their behalf.
If hosts are living at the property while taking in guests -- say, by renting out one room in their house -- then they will be allowed to operate as many days as they want. Council members stipulated last week that this exception should include homes with accessory units -- that is, separate domiciles built on the property of a single family home. As long as the host is staying on site, then the extra unit can be rented out with no limits. [note that in many cities, extra units such as these are NOT allowed to be rented out as STRs]
Perhaps more importantly, services like Airbnb will have to start paying transient-occupancy taxes, a 10-percent fee on bookings at hotels and other traditional lodgings. Based on estimated 2017 revenues from short-term rentals, city officials believe Mountain View will receive at least $1.26 million a year in additional tax revenue. Over the coming months, city officials say the will be setting up an arrangement with Airbnb to have the company collect taxes on their behalf.