airbnb

[charlie may]

Went on airbnb web site the other day to see what was available in our town of 250 thousand population. There are 25 airbnb operations to the 10 licensed, health and fire inspected, tax paying Bed and Breakfasts. And we wonder why it has been an extremely quiet winter. There are 71 airbnb to the 75 Bed and Breakfasts in the whole province of only 1 million folks. Grrrr. I sent the tax man a strong letter and have not heard back. The city doesn't want to do anything. Any suggestions.?

 

[Copperhead]

Call for back up, get the media involved. The media loves this stuff. We have a couple of reporters locally that have been reporting the following:

• Calculate an estimated total of uncollected tax revenue, as well as uncollected fees which the legal B&B's paid to be licensed.
• The fact is that most of these places are not insured for short term renters. This means that if anything happens to the property while the renter is there, the insurance will not pay. Same goes for injuries to the renter.
• And then there are the neighbors. How do they feel about frequent flyers in and out next door? The wild parties, loud noise.
  

 

[Generic]

Start with the tax authorities and city authorities and then work your way around to the provinces authorities. Do you have a tourism/room tax? That usually doesn't have a minimum collection amount. Zoning may be wrong, the city doesn't like that. They may not have hit the threshold for GST/HST but that they do have to declare it on their annual income tax.
Use the pictures online, what can you see, can you figure out what address? Use what you can. The feds have a tip email form.
Good luck.

 

[4th Doctor]

The sharing economy is with us. The numbers and popularity indicate this is not going away. We list one of our rooms with air. We pay required taxes and are insured. Now that air is negotiating room taxes in some cities, there will probably be more. Seems the landscape is changing.

 

[Copperhead]

The sharing economy is with us. The numbers and popularity indicate this is not going away. We list one of our rooms with air. We pay required taxes and are insured. Now that air is negotiating room taxes in some cities, there will probably be more. Seems the landscape is changing..

The sharing economy is with us. The numbers and popularity indicate this is not going away. We list one of our rooms with air. We pay required taxes and are insured. Now that air is negotiating room taxes in some cities, there will probably be more. Seems the landscape is changing.

Just as long as each of the properties goes through the hurdles like the licensed places did to get approval to open their doors, then I will be fine. Until then, I will fight to close each one down. There are laws, each town, county and state has them. The laws are in place to protect neighborhoods and the traveling public. Why should some have to abide and not others.

 

[Flower]

Hello charlie may,
We also are a very small town. We were concerned as there were only 20 B&Bs competing against each other. We have 16 air that have come up. We wrote the town and had a discussion with the council. Although they had some concern they felt it was to much effort to tack down the AIR B&Bs ,and demand them to comply with the towns by-laws. They were willing to look the other way and do not collect their licensing fees. We even gave them the list of the houses that are air RENTALS.

 

[Joey Camb]

we are a bit lucky in the UK - anyone saying they are a BB I can report to the fire people and they don't mess about

 

[Arks]

we are a bit lucky in the UK - anyone saying they are a BB I can report to the fire people and they don't mess about.

we are a bit lucky in the UK - anyone saying they are a BB...

Just curious, do most people listed with airbb serve breakfast? ARE they a b&B, or just bed?

 

[Joey Camb]

we are a bit lucky in the UK - anyone saying they are a BB I can report to the fire people and they don't mess about.

we are a bit lucky in the UK - anyone saying they are a BB...

Just curious, do most people listed with airbb serve breakfast? ARE they a b&B, or just bed?
.

where I am its B&B as only B&B's are using it - same for the next town over I think

 

[Generic]

The sharing economy is with us. The numbers and popularity indicate this is not going away. We list one of our rooms with air. We pay required taxes and are insured. Now that air is negotiating room taxes in some cities, there will probably be more. Seems the landscape is changing..

When AirBnB stops helping people hide from the tax man and the authorities, we will talk. At the moment they are simply a vehicle for people to commit a crime.

 

[charlie may]

The sharing economy is with us. The numbers and popularity indicate this is not going away. We list one of our rooms with air. We pay required taxes and are insured. Now that air is negotiating room taxes in some cities, there will probably be more. Seems the landscape is changing..

Hi Fourth doctor
I have no problem with airbnb folks that have gone through all the legal hoops---business license, health and fire inspected, food handlers course, and pay taxes, etc.. We have one bed and breakfast that is also an airbnb operator in town , which is great. She is the only one out of the 25 airbnb's.

 

[Generic]

The sharing economy is with us. The numbers and popularity indicate this is not going away. We list one of our rooms with air. We pay required taxes and are insured. Now that air is negotiating room taxes in some cities, there will probably be more. Seems the landscape is changing..

Hi Fourth doctor
I have no problem with airbnb folks that have gone through all the legal hoops---business license, health and fire inspected, food handlers course, and pay taxes, etc.. We have one bed and breakfast that is also an airbnb operator in town , which is great. She is the only one out of the 25 airbnb's.
.

Charlie, what some of the local legal B&Bs have done has specified that they are fully and legally licenced on their listing on AirBnB and that their reservation will not be cancelled because they are booking with a professional innkeeper.

 

[Mini]

Hello Charlie May
I am guessing you live in Regina????
We agree with everything you said. We also hate airbnb and we also had a slower than normal off season. I think all the licensed, insured b and b's in your city should ban together and go to the next city council meeting. There seem to be just as many listed on kijiji (they don't have to pay the commission) as on airbnb.

 

[Higgins House]

People stay at our B&B because they want a special experience. Can you imagine anyone staying at an airB&B to celebrate an anniversary?

 

[Joey Camb]

People stay at our B&B because they want a special experience. Can you imagine anyone staying at an airB&B to celebrate an anniversary?.

You are making the mistake of thinking its all the couch surfing crowd - some of the complete apartments are really lush!

 

[JBloggs]

People stay at our B&B because they want a special experience. Can you imagine anyone staying at an airB&B to celebrate an anniversary?.

You are making the mistake of thinking its all the couch surfing crowd - some of the complete apartments are really lush!
.

You are making the mistake of thinking its all the couch surfing crowd - some of the complete apartments are really lush!

I agree. I have seen amazing places on AirBnB that I wanted to visit!

 

[souslechene]

To me, this all illegal thing is not really air's fault. They propose a fabulous service and, contrary to most operators (Booking.com first), they try mostly to use real world respectful and human methods, first of all by showing that their service have a cost that has to be paid by visitors. This is so much better than Booking and others "no booking fees".
We are also on air but do not suffer from this yet. I agree that there seems to be a lot of tax evasion there, but this is the mostly the problem of dishonest citizens and of the big failure of the legal/political systems who are unable to create a simple easy to understand/apply/enforce legal framework.
Just another sign that times/technologies are changing too fast and institutions fail to adjust as fast as needed. Air is growing fast and will likely surpass the likes of Booking, Expedia, is a short time. Get ready.
Booking is already listing them as their 3rd biggest competitor, just after Expedia & TripA.

 

[Generic]

To me, this all illegal thing is not really air's fault. They propose a fabulous service and, contrary to most operators (Booking.com first), they try mostly to use real world respectful and human methods, first of all by showing that their service have a cost that has to be paid by visitors. This is so much better than Booking and others "no booking fees".
We are also on air but do not suffer from this yet. I agree that there seems to be a lot of tax evasion there, but this is the mostly the problem of dishonest citizens and of the big failure of the legal/political systems who are unable to create a simple easy to understand/apply/enforce legal framework.
Just another sign that times/technologies are changing too fast and institutions fail to adjust as fast as needed. Air is growing fast and will likely surpass the likes of Booking, Expedia, is a short time. Get ready.
Booking is already listing them as their 3rd biggest competitor, just after Expedia & TripA..

Really? So when the government asks them for the names and addresses of the businesses listed and they refuse, it's who's fault? When the people paid don't pay their income taxes because AirBnB doesn't send them out the required legal tax forms when they aren't incorporated, it's who's fault?
When you register your property, you give AirBnB the location. They could ask if you are registered with the local authorities. If you mark "breakfast" they could ask if you have a licence to serve food.
We have 75 legal properties in this city and over 2000 illegal properties. Most of which not only don't have their licence but also aren't paying their fair share of income taxes, property taxes, VAT and such. AirBnB could make it easier for the legal businesses that need to collect VAT but instead make it easier for those who are illegal to not collect it.

 

[Joey Camb]

To me, this all illegal thing is not really air's fault. They propose a fabulous service and, contrary to most operators (Booking.com first), they try mostly to use real world respectful and human methods, first of all by showing that their service have a cost that has to be paid by visitors. This is so much better than Booking and others "no booking fees".
We are also on air but do not suffer from this yet. I agree that there seems to be a lot of tax evasion there, but this is the mostly the problem of dishonest citizens and of the big failure of the legal/political systems who are unable to create a simple easy to understand/apply/enforce legal framework.
Just another sign that times/technologies are changing too fast and institutions fail to adjust as fast as needed. Air is growing fast and will likely surpass the likes of Booking, Expedia, is a short time. Get ready.
Booking is already listing them as their 3rd biggest competitor, just after Expedia & TripA..

Really? So when the government asks them for the names and addresses of the businesses listed and they refuse, it's who's fault? When the people paid don't pay their income taxes because AirBnB doesn't send them out the required legal tax forms when they aren't incorporated, it's who's fault?
When you register your property, you give AirBnB the location. They could ask if you are registered with the local authorities. If you mark "breakfast" they could ask if you have a licence to serve food.
We have 75 legal properties in this city and over 2000 illegal properties. Most of which not only don't have their licence but also aren't paying their fair share of income taxes, property taxes, VAT and such. AirBnB could make it easier for the legal businesses that need to collect VAT but instead make it easier for those who are illegal to not collect it.
.

I think that's the main problem - ie if you are on bookin in g etc you give your full address and its there for the world to see - easy for authorities to check up any time
Air - doesn't and doesn't even give it up when asked - all they would have to do to get rid of most of their problems is to put in the terms and conditions "we will give your location to tax authorities or council inspectors if asked in relevant situations" - problem solved
the others don't check squat - but the info is there for councils etc to do so

 

[souslechene]

To me, this all illegal thing is not really air's fault. They propose a fabulous service and, contrary to most operators (Booking.com first), they try mostly to use real world respectful and human methods, first of all by showing that their service have a cost that has to be paid by visitors. This is so much better than Booking and others "no booking fees".
We are also on air but do not suffer from this yet. I agree that there seems to be a lot of tax evasion there, but this is the mostly the problem of dishonest citizens and of the big failure of the legal/political systems who are unable to create a simple easy to understand/apply/enforce legal framework.
Just another sign that times/technologies are changing too fast and institutions fail to adjust as fast as needed. Air is growing fast and will likely surpass the likes of Booking, Expedia, is a short time. Get ready.
Booking is already listing them as their 3rd biggest competitor, just after Expedia & TripA..

Really? So when the government asks them for the names and addresses of the businesses listed and they refuse, it's who's fault? When the people paid don't pay their income taxes because AirBnB doesn't send them out the required legal tax forms when they aren't incorporated, it's who's fault?
When you register your property, you give AirBnB the location. They could ask if you are registered with the local authorities. If you mark "breakfast" they could ask if you have a licence to serve food.
We have 75 legal properties in this city and over 2000 illegal properties. Most of which not only don't have their licence but also aren't paying their fair share of income taxes, property taxes, VAT and such. AirBnB could make it easier for the legal businesses that need to collect VAT but instead make it easier for those who are illegal to not collect it.
.

I guess my view is biaised by the fact that I am In France and do not know much about your legal system. Note also that I also fully declare all my business and pay all taxes. As such, I also suffer from all those acting illegally and am also concerned.
It seems that it was the courts that ordered air to give NY guests records, not the Government nor any laws. Not sure there was any law that required air to give them away. If that is the case, why would they have to give data that their clients (hosts) did not agree to give away...
I feel that the responsability to declare its business & profits lies on the business owner, not on the plateform distributing it. Should the classified or all the directories on which we are listed check if we follow the law ? Should law enforcement be performed by businesses you deal with ?
All other directories must be worried at seeing air collecting taxes. Even Bookin.com is not collecting taxes on our behalf. Are we going to a situation where taxes have to be paid differently depending on the booking provider ? When booking direct, I pay myself to the tax office, when airb, through airb,... Crazy.
Official law enforcement need to adjust to this new environment. Checking air owners is not difficult. Just place a booking and you'll get the details. Bookings can be cancelled. Make appropriate & simple regulations, arrange for painful fines and use medias to communicate. At the moment, laws/law enforcement are mostly letting it happen. At the moment, when you loose business, they also loose taxes. This enforcement should be profitable.
On the other side, I agree that air could do a little more to inform owners. But regulations are such a mess! Cities, states, countries,...