Support is growing for short-tem rentals

Dear Editor: Contrary to the claims made in “Mirroring growing concerns in Mid-Hudson Valley, Beacon takes comment on proposed Airbnb regulation,” April 3, 2018, support for home sharing is growing as residents, travelers and small businesses reap the benefits of this innovative economic engine.

In Hurley, officials are considering new rules that would embrace home sharing along a critical tourism corridor.

In Woodstock, Airbnb has worked with local officials for over a year to craft reasonable regulations that foster responsible home sharing in a residential community that relies on tourism for economic growth.

And in Rhinebeck, workshops and public hearings continue to develop new regulations that will replace a full, short-term rental ban with a more nuanced system.

These communities are not alone. Last year, nearly 58,000 hosts welcomed 2.6 million guest arrivals in New York. The vast majority of these hosts are middle-class residents who share their homes occasionally to pay for their mortgage, medicine, and student loans, or save money for retirement or a rainy day.

In Ulster County alone, 1,600 hosts — two-thirds of whom are women and nearly onethird over the age of 60 — took in 115,000 travelers, generating millions of dollars for local restaurants and shops and highlighting how Airbnb is helping New Yorkers age in place in the communities they call home.

Airbnb is proud to support these families and businesses and looks forward to continuing to work with municipalities to leverage the promise of home sharing in their communities.

Josh Meltzer Northeast head of public policy Airbnb New York