PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Operators of Airbnbs and other short-term rentals in Philadelphia would have to conform to new rules under a bill advanced by a City Council committee.
The bill creates two new licenses. One involves an operator’s license for short-term rentals, which would be available to the owner of a property or someone who lived in it at least six months a year.
The second is a license for booking agents, such as Airbnb. They would have to assure the properties on its platform are licensed and keep track of rentals in case of complaints.
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The goal is to crack down on party houses, strangers moving in and out of homes on residential streets and worse, as Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson noted.
"There was a shooting in Point Breeze. Some guys from out of town," he said. "So my constituents are up in arms and really want some level of control and regulation."
Many operators who testified against the bill painted themselves as model neighbors who offer affordable options for families and visiting relatives, as well as jobs for the people who clean the properties between rentals.
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Some acknowledged problems, but they said they doubted the bill would solve them.
"Bad actors don’t care about licenses," said short-term rental operator Jeff Gianjulio.
"Weeding out bad apples with this bill will destroy much of the industry in its wake. Please reconsider using this anvil of a bill to kill this ant of a problem," Airbnb property manager Jen Jordan said.
The bill passed the committee unanimously and now goes to the full council for a vote.