PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Portland’s mayor is planning to introduce an ordinance that would force online short-term rental companies like Airbnb to take down unpermitted rentals.
Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the proposed crackdown in Oregon’s largest city follows a federal court ruling in March that dealt a legal blow to Airbnb’s long-held position that it is not responsible for policing unpermitted listings on its site.
Portland’s revenue division has been trying to reach a voluntary agreement with the company for more than a year over unpermitted rentals.
The city says Airbnb’s latest offer represented a step backward, so it is preparing to try a tougher tactic: an ordinance that goes after Airbnb’s profits.
The draft ordinance would prevent Airbnb from collecting booking fees on unpermitted rentals in Portland.
It’s modeled after a similar ordinance in Santa Monica, California, that was recently upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Airbnb
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