Photographs by Ken Richardson AIRBNB, LIKE THE draw of ride-hailing apps to car owners, started with the premise that your home can make you a little extra money by renting out rooms to travelers looking to save a few dollars. Empty-nesters, they said, could rent out junior’s bedroom now that he’s moved out and put […]
airbnb
Posted inEconomy
Everyone knows Anthony in the North End – just not this one
THIS STORY IS A SIDEBAR TO THE MAIN STORY: THE AIRBNB GOLD RUSH IS ON. ANTHONY WAS A popular Airbnb host. His 88 units in Boston, including about half in the North End, drew more than 2,000 mostly positive reviews over a 15-month period. “We had a fantastic stay in Anthony’s place,” wrote Carol from […]
Posted inOpinion
Airbnb’s smoke and mirrors
IN HIS NOVEMBER 8 op-ed in CommonWealth (“Time for state to catch up on Airbnb tax”), Airbnb executive Will Burns raises many excellent points about why it is time for the state to act on the taxation and regulation of short-term rental platforms. It is important, however, that lawmakers and the public see through the […]
Posted inEconomy, State House News Service
Airbnb wants to be taxed in Mass.
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL campaign in the rear-view mirror and the airwaves now free of political ads, Airbnb is taking advantage of the void to press its own campaign to get Massachusetts to regulate and tax its short-term rental industry. The San Francisco-based company last week launched a new TV ad in […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Baker flip-flops on Airbnb tax
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. CHARLIE BAKER, admitting Monday that he spoke too soon last week when he endorsed a Senate plan to tax short-term housing rentals, showed himself to be conflicted over how to maintain the anti-tax image he tries to project and still be the fair-minded business advocate who wants to even competition […]
Posted inEconomy, The Back Story
Airbnb follows Uber playbook
FIRST UBER, NOW AIRBNB. The so-called sharing economy that went from zero to billions of dollars in the blink of an eye caught the State House off-guard, but it now appears the Legislature is inclined to regulate these new services with a much lighter touch than the legacy industries with which they compete. After months […]