The Association of Independent Hospitality Professionals (AIHP), the leading voice for innkeepers and allied partners that support the U.S. innkeeping industry, published a position paper last year addressing short-term rental properties listed on online platforms such as Airbnb and HomeAway. At that time, AIHP shared the view that hosts who list properties on these platforms, but who may not be properly regulated or pay appropriate taxes, should be held to the same standards and regulations as professionally-run B&Bs and inns. AIHP also encouraged its members to list their properties on these platforms to take advantage of the expansive marketing effort these companies have undertaken to appeal to a new and unique class of leisure travelers. While AIHP’s position has not changed, we are offering this update to share with you some steps we have initiated over the past year that will benefit our professional innkeeping members.
One major effort we have undertaken is to work with online rental platforms to have professionally-run B&Bs and inns more prominently marketed on their sites. Airbnb is in the process of expanding its traditional professional host categories with ongoing AIHP guidance. This will result in guests being better able to find and book properties like independent inns and bed & breakfasts on Airbnb’s platform. These changes are slated to be added to their website in the second half of 2017.
While these online rental platforms offer another strategic marketing tool for our members, the proliferation of unregulated home-sharing hosts has created a competitive challenge for a cross-section of our members. Some professional properties that AIHP represents are disadvantaged when home-sharing hosts in their markets don’t obtain a business license, pay lodging taxes, adhere to zoning laws, undergo fire or health inspections, or obtain liability insurance for their guests.
As part of a multipronged approach to address the challenges that our members face from illegal or unregulated short-term rental properties, here are some other actions that AIHP is undertaking to support our members and the innkeeping industry:
Advocacy
Online Short-Term Rental Platforms
Position Paper for AIHP Members