After North Side shooting at Airbnb, Pittsburgh City Council makes changes to short-term rental bill

Pittsburgh City Councilman Bobby Wilson has added new liability provisions to a bill aimed at regulating short-term rental properties. But it is unclear when the measure will be put to the final vote.

The bill was introduced in April after an Airbnb shooting on the north side of town. It requires owners of short-term rentals to obtain a license from the city in order to offer the properties. And on Wednesday, Wilson added changes that would require every property to have a responsible local agent on file.

If the owner of the property does not live in Allegheny County, another resident or a professional licensed property management company with a local office must be authorized by the owner to be responsible for operating the property.

Other amendments include: requiring an audit by the city to ensure that short-term rental properties comply with local requirements; add a sticker to clearly mark a property as a short-term rental; and having a public online database of properties and their owners.

Such measures would help law enforcement “better connect public safety to a short-term rental property that a party would not agree to on a lease,” Wilson said. “It provides transparency on who owns the property.”

But he said he wanted to hold the bill before council could take a preliminary vote so he could speak to Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration to see if they have any additional amendments to the bill. law.

The bill was originally introduced in response to a shooting at an unauthorized party at an Airbnb over Easter weekend. The shooting left two teenagers dead. Police have yet to arrest a suspect.