Boston and Washington, DC have the most similar regulations to those proposed for Jersey City. These rules in Boston and Washington DC, have been favorably described by Airbnb, details below. Charleston, New Orleans, New York City and Santa Monica have stricter rules. The other cities have laxer rules in some respects but stricter in others – e.g. Philadelphia allows short-term rentals of primary residence for higher number of days per year but have strict rules on number of guests.
The cities below are ordered by distance from Jersey City, closest first.
New York City
- Short Term Rentals of whole homes (e.g. whole apartments) are banned in buildings with more than two units.
- In buildings with more than two units you may have up to two paying guests staying within your home for fewer than 30 days, only if every guest has free and unobstructed access to every room, and each exit within the apartment.
- In buildings with one or two units, e.g. townhouses, you need to obtain a zoning change from “residential” use to “rooming house” and may need to make structural changes to meet different zoning / building codes – e.g. fire escapes, etc.
- Sources:
Philadelpha
- “The City of Philadelphia allows residents to rent out their home,or rent a room within their home, for short term rentals. “
- “Your home or a room can be rented for up to 180 days throughout a calendar year.”
- “The home may not be occupied by more than three (3) persons (including the owner and renters) who are unrelated by blood, marriage, adoption, or foster-child status, or are not Life Partners.”
- License and/or permit required when renting more than 90 days per year
Baltimore, Maryland
- “The new rules require short-term rental operators to obtain city licenses, which will only be issued for properties that are the primary residence of the host.“
- “Existing operators [i.e. not new operators] will be allowed to operate one additional short-term rental unit as long as they take ownership by December 31 of [2018]. The additional unit must have at least one paid booking between August 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018.”
- Source: https://www.avalara.com/mylodgetax/en/blog/2018/12/baltimore-votes-to-restrict-short-term-rentals-to-primary-residences.html
Washington DC
- Eligibility: “Short-term rental operators must obtain city permits and hosts may only rent out their primary residence, not second or third homes.
- Residency Requirement: “Hosts can only offer short-term rentals for up to 90 days a year when they’re not present.”
- Renters: “The rules also prohibit tenants from renting out their units as vacation rentals.”
- Airbnb Comments: “See, everyone — we can find common ground! To be fair, here in D.C., we are supporting zoning changes because they would allow short-term rentals in residential zones & ensure home sharing remains an economic tool for many, preserving stated intention of DC Council law.” tweeted Airbnb spokesperson Liz DeBold Fusco.
Boston, Massachusetts
- Eligibility: “Short term rentals are only allowed in owner-operator’s primary residence, or an adjacent dwelling within same property if property is a 2 or 3 unit dwelling.”
- Residency Requirement: “Owner must live in property nine (9) out of twelve (12) months per year.”
- Occupancy Limits: “Max ten (10) guests in any dwelling.
- License / Permit : “License required.”
- Renters: “Renters are prohibited from engaging in short term rentals.
- Airbnb Comments: “Our goal has always been to work with the city to find a path forward for home sharing in Boston.” said Liz DeBold Fusco, senior communications officer for Airbnb. “With this settlement agreement, that is what we have collectively achieved, establishing an effective regulatory framework for compliance.”
Charleston, South Carolina
“The City Council voted 11-2 to approve the new regulations, which do not allow whole home short-term rentals and restrict what types of buildings can be rented out for short terms in different zones of the city.”
“The new law goes into effect in 90 days and a violation will be a misdemeanor crime. Three new enforcement officers have been hired by the city to monitor short-term rentals.”
- Source: https://www.avalara.com/mylodgetax/en/blog/2018/04/charleston-city-council-will-be-voting-on-str-legislation.html
- City cracks down on short-term rentals with relentless team of officers.
New Orleans, Luisiana
“New Orleans City Council passes stricter Airbnb rules”
- “The new rules require short-term rental owners in residential neighborhoods to live in their rental properties. […] The new rules allow owners to operate up to three additional short-term rental units on the property where they live. These types of large rental properties (triplexes and fourplexes) are limited to only one on each side of a street. Short-term rental properties may not host more than 12 guests at a time. Short-term rentals will remain illegal in most of the French Quarter and the Garden District. “
- Source: https://www.avalara.com/mylodgetax/en/blog/2019/05/new-orleans-city-council-passes-stricter-airbnb-rules.html
Santa Monica, California
- “Airbnb suffers major loss in fight for Santa Monica rentals. Airbnb versus the U.S. continues”
- “In Santa Monica, short-term rentals must be licensed by the city. […] They prohibit rentals of whole homes to travelers for less than 30 days. Vacation-rental hosts in the city can only rent rooms to tourists and must be present throughout the stay.”
- Source: https://www.housingwire.com/articles/48452-airbnb-suffers-major-loss-in-fight-for-santa-monica-rentals/
- Federal appeals court upholds Santa Monica’s ban on short-term vacation rentals
Seattle, Washington
- “[A] property owner can rent a unit they live in and one more that they own. “
- “The new operators’ licenses will allow the city to keep better track of rentals and enforce certain safety and building standards. It’s an addition to the Seattle business license […] Online listings will be required to list license numbers. “
- Source: https://www.knkx.org/post/licenses-and-limits-new-short-term-rental-regulations-take-effect-seattle
Jersey City Short-Term Rental Facts 