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By adamg - 12/13/23 - 2:12 pm
De Barros

Update: Approved.

The Boston Licensing Board votes tomorrow on whether to let Jean-Luc De Barros convert his Plateau Communications shop at 251 Bowdoin St. in Dorchester into Boston Plateau Shawarma, where he promised to serve the Middle Eastern thin-sliced meat and chicken "slow cooked to perfection." Read more.

By adamg - 7/17/21 - 1:30 pm
Airbnb usage in Boston areas in 2018

Airbnb usage across Boston in 2018, from the study.

Two researchers at Northeastern University compared Airbnb data and crime stats for Boston neighborhoods and found that an increase in Airbnb units is followed a year or so later by an increase in violent crime. Read more.

By adamg - 2/21/21 - 4:53 pm

A federal judge on Friday dismissed a Brookline resident's efforts to make the town let her rent out rooms in her condo on Airbnb, saying the town zoning board and building department did nothing wrong in concluding she couldn't. Read more.

By adamg - 2/25/20 - 4:27 pm

A city ordinance that makes it harder for people to turn apartments into short-term rentals means investors who want to profit from visitors are looking for new ways to get around the measure. Read more.

By adamg - 1/28/20 - 10:03 pm

A couple who owns a three-family house on Chelsea Street might have to try renting it out as three apartments after the Zoning Board of Appeal today rejected their request to reclassify it as a "lodging house" so that they could continue renting it out in short-term rentals. Read more.

By adamg - 12/5/19 - 8:36 pm

Wired reports on the company's efforts to comply with Boston's new short-term rental ordinance, with a massive purge of its Boston listings over the past weekend to ditch places that, among other things, aren't registered with the city or are in buildings where the owner doesn't live.

By adamg - 10/29/19 - 10:50 am

A scheduled hearing on a B&B operator's proposal to formally turn a three-family home at 23 Wyman St. in Jamaica Plain into a 13-bed "boutique hotel" today was canceled after he withdrew his application. Read more.

By adamg - 8/29/19 - 11:26 pm

The mayor's office announced today that Boston and Airbnb are now best buds and that the company will require all of its Boston hosts to register with the city by Dec. 1 or get dropped from the platform. Read more.

By adamg - 11/13/18 - 3:04 pm

Airbnb, which ginned up a heavy-handed astroturf campaign to try to block city regulation of short-term rentals, is now trying another approach: A lawsuit charging Boston with heavy handedness of its own by attempting to violate both Airbnb's and its affiliates' free speech and privacy rights. Read more.

By adamg - 11/1/18 - 11:37 am

The owner of a nine-unit apartment building on Charles Street won city approval this week to convert it into a hotel - like it was before he bought it several years ago. Read more.

By adamg - 6/13/18 - 2:35 pm

UPDATE: Walsh said he will sign the ordinance.

The Boston City Council today approved, 11-2, a proposed law that would bar investors from renting out apartments and condos on Airbnb and similar Web sites but which would let owners who live in two- and three-family houses rent out units 365 days a year. Read more.

By adamg - 5/22/18 - 8:12 am

NorthEndWaterfront.com reports on a hearing yesterday. The council could vote tomorrow on a proposal by Mayor Walsh that would only allow short-term rentals in owner-occupied units.

By adamg - 5/9/18 - 1:26 pm

Mayor Walsh today announced a new proposal for dealing with short-term rentals that would by default bar investors from buying up units or even entire buildings and offering rentals on Airbnb and similar sites. Read more.

By adamg - 5/7/18 - 7:17 pm

Boston Magazine reports the apartment and condo rental company had workers calling up Boston residents who have used their service in other cities asking them to record messages about how Boston city councilors are un-American or something. Read more.

By adamg - 4/20/18 - 6:53 pm

Well, at least it's no longer singling out one particular city councilor of being in the pocket of Big Hotel. But now the "home share" concern is accusing "Boston lawmakers" of being out to hurt low-income Bostonians.

By adamg - 4/17/18 - 4:38 pm

Airbnb is making it clear this week that not only does it oppose efforts by city councilors to regulate the apartments and condos it advertises, it will take the low road to do it. Read more.

By adamg - 3/21/18 - 12:34 pm

Rather than face a potential fight with the City Council over how to keep Airbnb and its kin from eating Boston, Mayor Walsh has pulled his proposed regulations for possible changes. Read more.

By adamg - 3/20/18 - 9:56 am

CommonWealth reports that City Councilor Michelle Wu (at large) and Lydia Edwards (Charlestown, East Boston, North End) want to amend Mayor Walsh's proposed short-term-rental ordinance to bar investor-owned apartments and condos from the short-term market. Walsh's proposal would let them rent out units for up to 90 days a year - which Wu says is effectively 45 weekends a year.

The city council has to vote on Walsh's proposal and possible amendments by tomorrow or Walsh's proposal becomes law as is.

By adamg - 2/8/18 - 10:31 am

NorthEndWaterfront.com reports the West End Civic Association next week discusses "what needs to be done to control the proliferation of AirBnBs and illegal rentals in West End apartment buildings."

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. on Feb. 15 in the Amy Lowell Community Room, 65 Martha Rd.

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