What Hosts Need to Know About 2025 Airbnb Changes + Regulations
Running a furnished rental is a lot of work. Staying up-to-date with the changing landscape of short-term rental regulations is important for every host and investor. You might be thinking that you don’t need to keep tabs, but with regulations coming down so frequently in the U.S. and across the globe, you need to always stay informed on an Airbnb regulations update before you wake up one day and get penalized or delisted.
Been there. Several years back, I was getting my start in short-term rentals. I bought a property, started listing and before I knew it, was in city council meetings because my livelihood was on the line.
Keeping informed in advance is going to prevent unwanted stress in your business, you’ll see.
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Staying Informed on Short-Term Rental Regulations
- Staying Informed on Short-Term Rental Regulations
- Strategies to Future Proof your Short-Term Rental Business
- Airbnb Regulations Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Staying Informed on Short-Term Rental Regulations
Regulations for short-term rental properties vary from city to city. So while nationally there are statistics, what matters most is what’s happening at your state and in your specific city.
There are so many things that can trigger regulations being enforced in a city. Some of these things are the cost of rentals, neighborhood disturbances or sometimes, new council members or politicians get elected that have other interests at heart.
Local governments are placing restrictions and it’s something all Airbnb hosts need to be aware of.
How to Track Regulatory Changes
When the city I was renting in first got put on notice for more strict regulations, I thought it was the end of the world. But it ended up turning out well for all parties.
Here is what you can do:
- Sign up for Google Alerts for “short-term rental laws”, “Airbnb regulation” and use the city or state names that you have interest in.
- Sign up for notifications for local city council meetings as well as review past meetings to keep a pulse on current sentiment towards furnished rentals.
- Join a local short-term rental advocacy groups like Rent Responsibly or if your city has it, join a Facebook Group, or even a group on Meetup.com.
Here is a helpful reference for various city-specific laws on Short Term Rentals:
| City | Laws |
| Boston, MA | An owner must live in the property to do home-sharing or occupy a smaller adjacent unit as an owner. |
| Miami Beach, FL | Rentals less than 6 months and one day are generally prohibited unless in specific districts. |
| Las Vegas, NV | The operator must live in the property that is short-term rented for over 270 days of the calendar year. |
Taking Action on Airbnb Regulations Update
We want to share a personal story. Our business and careers literally came to the brink when we first started in 2018 with hosting on Airbnb. Columbus, Ohio wanted to instill harsh regulations for rentals.
What we came to find is that city councils and politicians are trying to have the community and neighborhoods in mind. They truly also were looking out for neighborhoods by having fair guidelines and oversight to hold property owners accountable for how they run their businesses.
By showing up, speaking up and providing feedback, it ended up being good, but, that may not always be the case in other places. Columbus now requires business registration. In fact, that simple concept has made it 7th for fastest-growing cities in the United States.
While there is fear for over-regulating rental properties, but the fact is you as a business owner needs to pay attention. This will affect your return and cashflow, of course.
Advocating for yourself as a business owner is crucial, especially in the short-term rental space. We learned this the hard way when our own Airbnb listing was unexpectedly shut down. We had to work closely with Airbnb and advocate for our listing. If you want to hear more about what happened to us and how we navigated this challenge, check out our full story here.
Diversifying Your Booking Strategy
Having “all your eggs in one basket” as they say might feel easy. But to protect your assets, one suggestion is to vary your rental approach.
One potential new listing channel could be a 30 day booking site. Listing for monthly durations could put you in another bracket altogether from “short-term rentals”.
In general, rules do not impact furnished 30-day rentals. Consider reaching out to relocation services and partner up.
Don’t assume, but verify. Get a conversation going with the local government and stay active with the conversations they’re having.
Consider offering furnished rentals for travel nurses. More patients being cared for outside of typical hospital care is expected to reach an estimated $265B by 2025 and nurses can help this cause while benefiting your business, too.
Diversifying your rental strategy is key, and that’s why we’re big advocates for exploring both direct bookings and midterm rentals. Relying solely on one platform, like Airbnb, can leave you vulnerable to sudden changes in policies or even unexpected account shutdowns. By building your own direct booking website, you create a safety net that allows you to control your business, build guest relationships, and avoid hefty platform fees. Additionally, midterm rentals—rentals of 30+ days—open up opportunities to attract traveling professionals, insurance placements, and relocation clients, often with less turnover and more stable income. We covered midterm rentals right here.
Strategies to Future Proof your Short-Term Rental Business
Make it a practice that for all your listings, have more than one exit option in mind in case short-term regulations affect your home. Mid-term, long-term or an outright sale might be viable alternatives if needed. Zoning laws can change and it’s important to know your options.
Many cities, like New York City and San Francisco have enacted strict local laws. These short-term rental laws could impact the short-term rental market in other areas.
For example, Chicago imposes strict safety standards, including the installation of carbon monoxide detectors. Always adhere to the latest safety regulations.
The Need for Short-Term Rental Owners to Partner with their City
Most rental hosts feel the frustration when they hear conversations of rental regulation changes. It can put an extreme burden on running the business. It can also affect tourism revenue, impacting local businesses.
Reach out, ask questions and show that you also care about what is best for neighborhoods and renters. You, as a owner who lives near or knows the property, will have additional information about how a positive rental experience helps the community.
That knowledge is useful. Many cities, like Dallas, are working on ways to regulate STRs while balancing the needs of the community.
Using Feedback From Online Communities To Your Advantage
Getting in groups where other members share information freely is a massive bonus. Getting an alert for news within the hour will always make you one of the first to know about an upcoming Airbnb regulations update.
Being ahead of the curve means you will never be blindsided. The legal landscape for short-term rentals is constantly shifting.
This applies to investing as well. Be informed so that when the market makes corrections, your ROI of short-term rentals stays above projections.
Airbnb Regulations Frequently Asked Questions
What are occupancy taxes? Occupancy taxes are taxes that some local jurisdictions require on short-term rentals.
These are also sometimes known as hotel occupancy taxes. Airbnb platform collects and remits these taxes in some areas, but not all.
What safety regulations apply to airbnb short-term rental properties? Safety standards vary, many require smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. They might include things like fire extinguishers and clearly marked exits.
Do I need a business license? Many local jurisictions now have registration requirements for short-term rentals.
This is part of the registration process, you may have to submit a floor plan or proof of insurance.
Failure to complete the process can result in removal of your active listings.
How are airbnb hosts impacted by local regulations? Local regulations governing short-term rentals, impact many aspects of running an Airbnb. This includes whether it can operate and if you need to get on a registration program.
It also can include the number of nights that the home can be rented. Also how many guests are permitted.
Are vacation rentals impacting affordable housing? There is much talk about short-term rentals and their impact on housing. Certain cities are seeing a shift with that.
It is beneficial to keep abreast of any updates.
Key Takeaways
As real estate investors, it is natural that conversations about regulations is not our favorite pastime. This still won’t change the fact that the need to know of an upcoming Airbnb regulations update is very important.
The responsibility falls upon the operators to show up, reach out and stay aware of the happenings and potential risks with their furnished rental listings. Staying compliant with STR laws will keep your business running.
You and the operators are on the same team here. All we need to do as business owners, investors, and operators is not have illegal activity taking place, create a win-win for renters and give cities a chance to support everyone well. All this said, the best thing is to stay informed and seek professional legal advice when necessary.
Calling All Hosts: The Hosting Handbook
If you loved this post we invite you to check out our one-stop-shop solution for hosts everywhere —the Hosting Handbook! While you can download all the easy to consume, step-by-step tips we use in our own hosting business and create the ultimate “book” the Hosting Handbook is so much more than that! If you’ve consumed or content for years (or just met us!) this is the reference guide for all the amazing and tactical tips we have for running a profitable and, more importantly hospitable, short-term rental. How do we price for pets? How do we fold our towels? What sheets do we buy? How do I purchase a short-term rental? All these questions (and more!) can be answered in the Hosting Handbook! Check it out now!
Happy Hosting!
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