More than 1,700 Boston listings were removed from Airbnb in December after the short-term rental company began removing unlisted units as part of a deal with the city.
Airbnb accepted start-up listings that were not registered with the city as of December 1 (city rules require that all short-term rentals be registered). The agreement – which bolstered the city’s efforts to crack down on illegal listings – was reached after the company for follow-up on Boston Short Term Rentals 2018 arrangement.
Following the deal, Airbnb listings fell from 5,500 in November to 3,780 in December, a drop of 31%, according to the City of Boston.
According to Boston Assistant Housing Commissioner Claudia Correa, the 1,720 listings removed were either unregistered or ineligible units, or in some cases old listings.
“They’ve worked to uphold their end of the bargain when it comes to the deal,” Correa said of Airbnb.
In a statement, Kelley Gossett, policy manager for the Mid-Atlantic at Airbnb, said the removal of the listings is “proof of our long-term commitment to working with the city. Going forward, we We will continue to work with the city to take appropriate action against listings, as needed.
The order also applies to other short-term rental companies, but some continued to list ineligible units, according to Correa.
“If we come across a platform that lists an ineligible short-term rental, we issue fines to them,” Correa said.
Boston has issued 367 fines totaling $90,200 since the short-term rental ordinance went into effect last year, according to the city. Fines range from $100 (for failure to register) to $300 (for listing non-qualifying rentals). Most of the fines were imposed on owners who did not register their units.
About 10% of fines were imposed on companies for listing ineligible units. Companies that have been fined include Churchill Living, Global Luxury Suites, Sonder and Boston-based Flipkey, which is owned by TripAdvisor, according to the city. Some companies are appealing fines.
“Sonder respects and adheres to all local laws in Boston – our portfolio in the city is fully licensed, or currently licensed as executive suites for visitor use,” a company spokesperson said. in a press release. “We expect all fines to be resolved in the process.”
Correa said the city is working to ensure all short-term rental companies remove illegal listings.
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