Airbnb owners urged Pittsburgh City Council members Thursday to tweak proposed legislation that would regulate Airbnbs and other short-term rental properties.
The legislation was introduced after two teenage boys were killed and eight others injured in a shooting at an Airbnb rental property in the city’s North Side early on Easter Sunday, though council members said the idea of regulating Airbnbs has been in the works for years.
Councilman Bruce Kraus said the measure is not meant to target Airbnb specifically, nor is it meant to suggest short-term rentals are bad. The idea, he said, is to ensure short-term rental units are safe and regulated.
“We know that the vast majority of hosts act in good faith to be valuable members of our community,” said Chad Wise of Lawrenceville, who is part of the Steel City Short-Term Rental Alliance.
He said the group “welcomes effective legislation,” but asked to be involved in the process of tweaking the legislation to ensure it doesn’t harm responsible Airbnb operators.
The legislation would require anyone operating an Airbnb or other short-term rental property to get a license from the city’s Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections. They would need to provide contact information where officials could get in touch with them if issues arise at their property, along with additional information like the maximum number of guests permitted for each rental.
The measure also would require short-term rental owners to keep a list of guests who enter the properties, along with their contact information.
The measure would limit how many people could stay in a short-term rental, and would require that guests don’t stay in the unit for more than 15 consecutive days.
The maximum stay requirement raised several concerns from Airbnb operators who spoke at the public hearing. Some attending Thursday’s hearing pointed out that some Airbnb guests need to stay longer while they are in the city for medical treatment, visiting family from long distances or seeking short-term housing while finishing real estate deals to buy a permanent home.
Becky Mingo, who operates an Airbnb with her husband, said the city shouldn’t aim to “limit our tourist traffic” with limits on how many people can stay and how long they can remain in a short-term rental. She suggested extending the maximum stay to six months.
“I really like the idea of regulating a minimum stay as opposed to a maximum stay,” Kraus said after public testimony.
“These people are seeking flexible travel options,” local Airbnb operator Corey Deithorn said. “They’re spending money at our local businesses here.”
Deithorn said he had concerns with out-of-state companies that manage Airbnbs in Pittsburgh. The better model, he said, involves owners like himself who are local and engaged in the units they rent.
“We’re actively improving these properties,” he said, adding that he supports “responsible regulations that allow responsible housing.”
Others who spoke Thursday also defended Airbnbs operated by LLCs, explaining that LLCs don’t always mean out-of-state entities. Sometimes local people operate short-term rentals as LLCs for liability protection or financial reasons.
Michael Subkoviak of Oakland said he operates Airbnbs under an LLC because it “offers you protection.”
“I am part of the community,” he said. “I live five blocks away. I understand the importance of being a good neighbor.”
Subkoviak said he supported the legislation, but also would like to see insurance requirements at short-term rental units. He called for a public safety liaison who could facilitate better communication between Airbnb owners and public safety officials, who, he said, sometimes aren’t sure how to handle issues that arise at Airbnb sites.
Millie Sass, of Oakland, said she supported the idea of regulating Airbnbs, but questioned how effective the measure would be and whether it would protect residents who live near short-term rentals.
“The legislation needs a lot of scrutiny,” she said.
She argued that it’s “unfair” to permanent residents that short-term rental guests have access to residential parking permits in areas where parking spots are often scarce.
Multiple people encouraged council members to consider making short-term rental units pay a hotel tax, as they operate similarly.
“If you have hundreds of Airbnbs not paying the hotel-motel tax, that’s a lot of money,” said Robert Cranmer, who operates a bed and breakfast in neighboring Brentwood that is subject to the tax.
Several Airbnb owners pushed back against negative associations that have been made with Airbnb in the wake of the recent shooting.
“We want to come out of the shadows and into the light and be properly regulated,” said Julie Ransom, who has been an Airbnb host since 2008. “Millions of Airbnb stays occur every day without incident.”
Cassandra Brandy, also an Airbnb host, said it was a couple of “bad apples” that made people assume Airbnbs were problematic and in need of new rules.
“None of the proposed requirements would have prevented the tragic shooting,” she said. “We do not need to make more regulations. We need to enforce the laws and violations we already have.”
Councilman Bobby Wilson, a co-sponsor on the measure and the council member who represents the area where the Airbnb shooting occurred, said he would like to see the measure amended to take into account concerns heard at the public hearing. He did not provide specifics.
Julia Felton is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Julia at 724-226-7724, jfelton@triblive.com or via Twitter .
