Despite ongoing regulatory issues, Airbnb is expected increase bookings to 80 million this year, up from 40 million bookings in 2014, reports Reuters.
Airbnb and competitors are popping up around the globe, and the lack of available information about where such properties are located has proven to be a major roadblock in applying proper commercial lodging regulations, says Troy Flanagan, American Hotel & Lodging Association’s vice president, state & local government affairs.
“Knowing exactly where and how often properties are being rented is really the big void in information,” he says. “That data has been difficult to gather. It has been a challenge getting the companies that serve as the platform that kind of business to actually share that data publicly. “
Looking to next year, Flanagan expects legislation on city and state levels to take the first step into determining where the rental locations are through a registration process.
“Once that’s known, it becomes a bit easier to enforce existing regulations and tax laws on those properties that fit whatever that jurisdiction’s definition of commercial lodging is,” he says.
