Airbnb sent out letters this week urging its hosts in San Francisco to register with city hall and report on their rental activity every quarter. This move comes after city officials questioned how committed short-term online rental marketplaces like Airbnb were to enforcing San Francisco’s voluntary registration requirements. Currently the company doesn’t have a mechanism for verifying if any of its hosts have registered. After defeating a ballot measure in October that would have created a system to ensure room-sharing hosts paid hotel taxes, reported revenue, and followed city codes, Airbnb vowed to promote “responsible home sharing.” However the company has proven reluctant to block illegal rentals from its platform, leaving cities like San Francisco and New York to chase after illegal hotels. To read more, click here.
