Hey, there! Log in / Register

Boston doesn't want investor-owned Airbnb units? Investors use loophole to try to turn buildings into 'boutique hotels'

And the evictions continue, WFXT reports.

Neighborhoods: 
Topics: 
Free tagging: 


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

When you change a law to regulate a profitable business, that business will try to find a way to slightly change their business to make it OK again. The city needs to stay on top of this or we'll be overrun with "executive apartments".

up
Voting closed 5

But then you will just end up going around in circles as one side tries to create regulations/laws and the other tries to find loopholes.

The best solution is the obvious one. Build more housing!

up
Voting closed 1

Walsh and Baker need to stop letting Airbnb, Uber/Lyft, Lime, Bird, and all these other tech bro co's write the legislation for their submission. The city and state need to stop letting them be involved in writing regulations, since companies just end up inserting loopholes for their own self interest. Look at the way that the city is magically coming to 15 mph as the speed limit on e-scooter businesses, which just happens to be the top speed on these rentals.
We already have regulations and permit process for hotels, boutique or otherwise, why if businesses use one specific app do we have to set up a whole new set of laws and regulations, why cant they follow the existing laws?

up
Voting closed 0

Because most of the laws and regs are either unneeded or designed to entrench and protect the rent-seekers. Most of these laws are just there to protect incumbents.

There is a reason why airbnb, uber, etc are so popular and it's not just price but convenience (and extra features) as well. It's impossible to argue that we would be better off had uber or airbnb never been invented.

Lets not also forget that this competition is pushing hotels to lower rates.

up
Voting closed 0

Oh, no, it's not *more* evictions, it's the same eviction.

CPA has been milking the Johnny Court story for going on 5 years now.

Data and public records don't lie.

up
Voting closed 6

Instead of Chinatown we can name it AirBnb town.

up
Voting closed 0

Putting aside the question of whether or not Airbnbs should be allowed in these buildings, how is this a loophole? It sounds like they're following the official process to get permission from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

up
Voting closed 0

I agree with Flaherty that neighbors should be able to weigh in on "executive suites" and that they should be conditional. The two family home next to me in Central JP has been a boarding house for at least a century. A family owned LLC it is zoned as an apartment building and as soon as they get their last boarder out they are planning on renovating it as an "executive suite." Over the years I've seen dozens of people die in the house from drug over doses, my children have been harassed by resident pedophiles and my property is over run with rats their trash which was constantly overflowing with left overs.

up
Voting closed 3

Why were you in the house watching people use drugs?

up
Voting closed 0