In the wake of the mass shooting that killed two teenagers at a party in an Airbnb over the weekend, and following months of complaints around the city, officials are taking action to regulate rogue rentals.
Pittsburgh City Council members will introduce a bill that would require property owners who rent out their homes on a short-term basis to obtain a license.
The bill, filed into council’s legislation-tracking system on Monday afternoon, would require all property owners who want to use rental marketplaces like Airbnb to rent out their properties — or rooms in their properties — to get licensed with the city’s Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections.
Property owners would also have to keep a daily register of guests who rent out their units, and the list — made available for inspection by city code enforcement officers — would include guests’ names, addresses and phone numbers.
Council President Theresa Kail-Smith, who is sponsoring the bill alongside Bobby Wilson and Deb Gross, said the idea had been in the works for months after complaints from residents about parties at short-term rentals and a lack of oversight.
Though she said the bill was finished last week, Ms. Kail-Smith said the effort took on a new level of importance after the weekend’s mass shooting in East Allegheny, where two 17-year-olds were killed, several attendees were wounded and more were injured trying to take cover during gunfire at an Airbnb.
Requiring owners to get licenses for short-term rentals would help council members understand who’s using the properties — and for what — in their districts, Ms. Kail-Smith said. It would also provide contact information for neighbors if they’re having issues with a nearby property, she added.
“They don’t know who’s in the buildings, who’s in the homes,” Ms. Kail-Smith said.
In a statement to the Post-Gazette, Theo Yedinsky, director of global policy for Airbnb, said, “Airbnb strictly bans parties, and we strongly support and stand ready to work with Councilmember Wilson and the City of Pittsburgh to develop short-term rental regulations.”
Airbnb said Monday that it intends to file a civil suit against the person who rented the East Allegheny unit in question. On Sunday, the company banned the renter for life from renting through its marketplace.
City council’s concept is partly based on similar legislation Philadelphia’s city council passed last year in response to residents’ complaints that unauthorized house parties in rentals were causing noise issues, excessive litter and, in the worst cases, violent and unruly behavior, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Mr. Wilson, who represents East Allegheny, said he wants to ensure the owners of these properties cannot hide behind limited liability companies.
The bill would require owners to disclose the types of short-term rentals in their properties and their own contact information, among other things, in their applications.
The property and rental units “may be subject to annual inspection” by the city, according to the legislation. The licenses would be good for one year.
“What’s happening here ... I want regulation,” Mr. Wilson said.
Airbnb officials have been in touch with Mr. Wilson’s team on the proposed regulations, and remain in contact with Pittsburgh police and Mayor Ed Gainey’s staff in regards to their ongoing investigations into the shooting.
Julian Routh: jrouth@post-gazette.com
First Published: April 18, 2022, 10:19 p.m.
Updated: April 19, 2022, 11:30 a.m.
