If you read elite commentary on the home-sharing industry (that is, Airbnb and its competitors), especially on the Left, you might think it is quite controversial. However, a recent Pew survey suggests otherwise.
According to Pew, very few people know very much about home-sharing. Only 11 percent of Americans have used home-sharing services, and 53 percent of all adults have never even heard of them. Only 9 percent of Americans claim to have heard “a lot” about the homesharing debate, and 16 percent have heard “a little.” Among people who have actually used home-sharing services, these numbers rise to 19 percent and 37 percent.
But to the extent Americans are aware of home-sharing, they like the idea. Only 4 percent of Americans think home-sharing should be illegal, and only 30 percent think it should be taxed. 52 percent think homesharing should be legal and untaxed. Even among self-described liberals, only 38 percent think homesharing should be taxed.
those who know it best (we here in SF) are most wary of it. basically, you’re talking about your neighborhood across the hall running an unlicensed hotel, with people coming and going virtually every day, constant noise, cigarette butts in the hall and in the building plants, and a general sense of insecurity. that’s in addition to the fact of another unit leaving the rental market in a city where the barriers to new housing are the highest of probably any american city of any size. you might want to say that the answer is to relax restrictions and build and yeah, we have to do that. but in the meantime, it’s straight up bad for us to allow these hotel uses in our neighborhoods – it raises rents and brings down quality of life. “home sharing” lol. it’s a nuisance business and it’s against the law. luckily our board of supervisors finally took action with majority that the mayor can’t veto to bring some sensible enforcement to sensible rules.