Proposed Legislation
State and Federally Proposed Legislation Against Our Industry
Congress is considering new rules that would affect all Americans who use platforms like Airbnb
As we continue to advocate for fair short-term rentals rules around the world, we want to keep you informed about legislation that may affect you. Typically, short-term rental legislation is created at the city or state level to ensure the rules address the specific needs of each community. It’s rare to see federal legislation addressing a local policy issue like short-term rentals. However, former hotel executive and US Congressman Ed Case did just that when he recently introduced the Protect Local Authority in Neighborhoods (PLAN) Act.
The PLAN Act would change long-standing internet laws to make platforms like Airbnb liable for user-generated content, like host listing pages. This would effectively require online short-term rental platforms to police users’ listings on behalf of cities. These changes could curtail consumer choice and limit the ability of hosts to responsibly share their space when and how they want.
Congressman Case and the big hotels are actively seeking additional co-sponsors for the bill, and now is the time to make our voices heard.
Email your member of Congress and ask them to oppose this hotel industry-supported bill, and stand with the hundreds of thousands of Americans like you who earn important extra income by sharing their homes and welcoming guests to their cities.
Click Here to Email your member of Congress
The PLAN Act serves just one purpose: To stifle any competition to the big hotels and boost their record profits on the backs of American consumers. It willfully ignores solutions Airbnb has championed in city after city that provide governments with the information and tools they need to effectively enforce local short-term rental rules and collect taxes.
Members of Congress should not just hear from the big hotel chains - they should hear from hosts like you who share extra space to make ends meet. When our community makes its collective voice heard, we can make real change, and prevent harmful overreaching legislation from becoming law. Send an email today.
Want to learn more?
Here are some helpful resources about the PLAN Act and the federal internet laws it intends to change.
Communications Decency Act Section 230 & How the PLAN Act Could Change it Airbnb
Statement from Travel Technology Association President Steve Shur on Introduction of the Protecting Local Authority and Neighborhoods Act (PLAN) Act (Travel Tech)
Statement on the Introduction of the Plan Act (The Internet Association)
Click Here to Ask your representative to OPPOSE the PLAN Act
Communications Decency Act Section 230 and How the PLAN Act Could Change it
Statement On The Introduction Of The Plan Act
Austin Defends Its Short-Term Rental Rules Before Texas Lawmakers (April 4, 2019)
Austin's rules on short-term rental units – those vacation rentals on apps and sites like Airbnb and Homeaway – are under fire at the Texas Capitol. House lawmakers heard testimony Thursday on a bill that would override the city's ban on properties in residential areas that aren't owner-occupied.
Richardson Republican state Rep. Angie Chen Button said the bill would prohibit "arbitrary" bans on those properties. She said they inhibit an industry that brought more than $3 billion into the state's economy last year, according to a recent analysis.
Austin was one of the first cities in Texas to regulate short-term rentals, but its rules specifically targeted homes rented out by people who don't live in them full-time – known in city code parlance as "Type 2" properties. (Click link above to read more)