The Boston City Council voted 11-2 on Wednesday to regulate short-term rentals (i.e., AirBnb, Homeaway, VRBO, etc.), supporting a bill close to the Mayor Walsh’s amended guidelines. The ordinance bans short-term rentals from non-owner occupied buildings, eliminating investor units and absentee Airbnb landlords. Owner-occupants may continue to list their own unit, a part of their unit or Read More…
No obvious compromises were made when Boston’s City Council held a working session on Monday regarding the Mayor’s revised ordinance that regulates short-term rentals in the City of Boston. A vote could come in the coming weeks, yet the Council remains split in opinion with councilors representing downtown largely in favor while those from outlying districts opposed. Read More…
After receiving harsh criticism at the Boston City Council and from neighborhood activists of the “investor unit category” in his proposed regulation of short-term rentals, Mayor Walsh filed an amended ordinance on Wednesday that would completely ban AirBnb rentals in non-owner occupied buildings. Allowance is provided for owners living in a multi-unit building for short-term rentals, up to 120 Read More…
Commentary by Thomas F. Schiavoni A recent tidal wave of short-term rentals on platforms such as Airbnb are flooding Boston’s housing market and stirring up intense debate over legislation proposed by the Mayor’s Office. The North End and adjacent neighborhoods are nearing the tipping point of an ‘extinction event’. Earth scientists use this term to Read More…
The Massachusetts House passed a long-debated bill on short-term rentals (AirBnb, etc.) last Thursday. The North End’s State Rep. Aaron Michlewitz was the lead sponsor who said the bill provides for baseline safety regulations, creates transparency in the market, establishes a revenue structure based on the different levels of hosts, and allows for cities and Read More…
The City Council is split between caution and urgency in crafting their response to the mayor’s short-term rentals ordinance, due later this month. “My immediate reaction to a time crunch is to be restrictive and then open it up slowly in terms of what we can offer,” said District 1 City Councilor Lydia Edwards. “Let’s Read More…
Mayor Walsh proposed a citywide ordinance today establishing guidelines and regulations to regulate short-term rentals, i.e., Airbnb. Most notable is a 90-day limit for residential units rented via Airbnb and other similar sites. While details are in flux, only commercially zoned properties(i.e., hotels) would be able to exceed the 90-day limit. City officials believe this will Read More…
Airbnb host “Anthony” had over 40 listings in the North End with a clean cut picture and a bio describing an entrepreneur “living the startup life.” There was only one issue when residents started to complain. Anthony did not exist. The profile was created by a short-term rental management company, Domio, out of New York. Read More…
Things to know for Monday Your daily round up for Monday, November 20: Traffic Advisory: Delays at N. Washington St. Bridge. The Boston Transportation Department is advising drivers that maintenance requires lane reduction on the N. Washington St. Bridge, causing expected outbound delays starting Monday the 20th. 5:00PM Trellis Lighting at Christopher Columbus Park. Join Read More…
Things to know for Thursday Your daily round up for Thursday, November 9: 11:00AM Mahjong Games at North End Library. Enjoy the American-style variant of Mahjong, a tile-based game that originated in China and requires skill, strategy, and calculation, view the full event posting here. 6:00PM NEWRA Party at Pilot House, 2 Atlantic Ave. Join Read More…
Things to know for the Weekend! Here’s what’s happening on Friday, September 29th: Yom Kippur begins tonight and ends Saturday evening. Also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. More at Wikipedia. 10:00am-7:00pm Marquis Health Career Fair at 70 Fulton St. Marquis Health Services is sponsoring a series of Career Fairs for openings Read More…
In this third of a series of posts, we are highlighting specific resident questions from the recent District 1 City Council Candidates Forum hosted by the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC). The three candidates running to fill the seat being vacated by Sal LaMattina are Lydia Edwards, Margaret Farmer and Stephen Passacantilli. District 1 includes the North End, Read More…