The city of Portland, Ore., may soon ease restrictions for residents letting short-term rentals — provided they are willing to pay and collect lodging taxes, The Oregonian reported.
That could open up the use of sites like Airbnb, which allows homeowners to rent all or part of their homes to travelers for a few days, but currently run afoul of the city’s regulations.
While Airbnb said Portland was “moving in the right direction” in a proposal to ease some rules, some argue that the proposal doesn’t go far enough. For instance, the proposal would maintain a current ban on renting out entire homes to tourists.
“When I’ve traveled as a guest, I’ve preferred to stay in places that are not primary residences,” wrote one Airbnb user in an email to The Oregonian.
“They are well-appointed and don’t have the personal items around that make you feel like you are in someone else’s personal space. I don’t think that any Airbnb host wants to be operating outside of these ordinances, but these rules simply haven’t caught up with the sharing economy.”
Source: oregonlive.com
