New | San Francisco votes on measure targeting rental site Airbnb
Residents to decide on proposal that may reduce the supply of short-term home rentals in city facing severe housing crunch
In a city where real estate is an intensely political and highly contentious topic, San Franciscans were to vote on Tuesday on a measure that would curtail use of short-term rental sites like Airbnb by cutting the number of allowable rentals to 75 nights a year per unit and adding other restrictions.
A severe housing crunch in San Francisco has made short-term rentals a major flashpoint. Supporters of Proposition F say Airbnb takes desperately needed rental units off the market. It is supported by hotels, hotel unions, landlords, housing activists and some neighbourhood groups.
“A lot of people think that San Francisco is becoming a rich person’s city and their argument is that this is taking away housing stock from tenants,” said Margaret Russell, a law professor.
Prop F opponents say sites like Airbnb allow residents to bring in extra income from unused rooms so they can afford to stay in a city where real estate values are going through the roof.
The No on F campaign is mainly supported by Airbnb and a coalition of its hosts. Airbnb, the San Francisco-based home-share site led by chief executive and co-founder Brian Chesky, has donated more than US$8 million to defeat the proposed measure, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Prop F is a hotel-backed measure that is falsely drawing a line between regular San Franciscans sharing their homes and a decades-long housing crisis,” said Christopher Nulty, an Airbnb spokesman.