Propositions: Yes on F

September 9th, 2015 5 Comments »

Residence-sharing services like VRBO and Airbnb seem like a great deal for homeowners; they allow you to make a little cash from the rental of your home while you’re not using it.  The problem that’s arisen is that Airbnb has made the process so easy for owners that people are literally buying houses and running full-time hotels out of them, without any of the licensing and regulation normally involved.  This in a city with a severe housing crunch.

San Francisco already has a 90-day limit on unhosted (owner absent) short term rentals, but the administration is doing nothing to enforce it.  There is no current limit for hosted rentals.  Prop F would establish 75-day limits for both, make hosting companies cease to list them after that point, ensure that short term properties are clearly identified to the public, and make hosting companies answerable to “interested parties” (neighbors, housing organizations) for infractions.

The anti-F campaign, San Francisco for Everyone but Renters, claims that the proposition will hurt homeowners who make a living from the short term rental of part of their residence; in fact, an owner who is operating a bed and breakfast can and should obtain a license.  They say it will encourage neighbors to sue neighbors, but what it actually does is allow them to sue the hosting company (neighbors can already sue neighbors).  Finally, they argue that the city will lose “millions” in revenue if it shuts down illegal short term rentals, which brings to mind the pile of cash I keep depriving myself of by not selling my sister’s vital organs on the black market.  The city is flush, and even if it weren’t, it has no business making illegal money at the expense of struggling renters.

— Jeff Whittington

5 Responses to “Propositions: Yes on F”

  1. proud bay man says:

    Airbnb has the money of a god. Their propaganda saturated the airwaves and was reinforced with multiple mail flyers. They are using their incredible wealth to pound this in. It’s bad for SF. Airbnb and vrbo have over 10,000 units in SF, and only 600 are reported for taxes. There are so many rentals in most neighborhoods the neighborhoods now have their own web pages on the airbnb and vrbo sites. This is unacceptable These were all homes where people lived, worked, voted, and thrived. They have 90 days per year to rent these units, yet these site shows four months at a time. Illegal right out of the gate. Airbnb and vrbo have erased renters, communities, families, and working class voters. This is completely unacceptable. They are allowing anyone to rent next door to you, giving these tourists complete unsupervised access to the backs of all of your homes.

    Watch for the No on F window signs. I guarantee there’s an illegal vacation rental renting there. There’s a party going on, and it’s in an Airbnb or vrbo illegal rental coming soon to you and yours with absolutely no regulation. Unless it’s your apartment they are coming to. In that case, you’ve already been evicted. There is a reason residential neighborhoods are zoned residential. It’s where people LIVE.

    Please vote YES ON F! It’s not good for SF, It’s GREAT for SF!

  2. LovesCalif says:

    “Residence-sharing services like VRBO and Airbnb seem like a great deal for homeowners; they allow you to make a little cash from the rental of your home while you’re not using it.”

    That;s not the case with everyone, I do not leave while renting my guest room – I have not taken a whole unit off the market, yet I too get swept up in this overreaching attempt at a solution to the housing crunch, if prop F passes.

    Your second paragraph is true, but current laws are poised to address those bad actors. But the law (and office to enforce it) is new – it needs to be left alone to work.

    No on F! …it really is too extreme.

    • Mike says:

      Vote Yes on F. What’s extreme, is what’s happening now…nothing. AirBnB wins and SF loses.

      Don’t be fooled by airbnb and sleazy politicians who stand to make a LOT of money from the current ineffective and unenforceable laws. The SF Planning Dept. has stated the current law is worthless. What are you waiting for?

  3. King says:

    Wow, this is so obvious that you guys all know each other and planned this post and comments, its really pathetic

Leave a Reply