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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBozeman MT Letter 1.12.17 January 12, 2017 Hon. Carson Taylor Mayor City of Bozeman City Hall P.O. Box 1230 121 North Rouse Avenue Bozeman, Mt. 59771 ctaylor@bozeman.net Re: Home Sharing Laws in Bozeman, Montana Mayor Taylor, On behalf of Airbnb, I urge the City of Bozeman to adopt regulations that support responsible home sharing and the economic value it provides to households and businesses in your community. While we strongly believe that short term rentals (STR) must comply with all health, safety, construction, zoning and fire codes, and should include insurance,1 blunt prohibitions on STR activity will hurt hundreds of middle class families who rely on home sharing to make ends meet and the scores of local businesses that benefit from the additional foot traffic generated through home sharing. As a result, we hope you choose to address STR in a comprehensive manner that is in the best interest of the residents and businesses of your city. Home sharing is an increasingly important component of the Big Sky economy. Last year alone, 1,800 Montanans welcomed 77,000 guests. In addition, 54,000 Montana residents used Airbnb to travel domestically and abroad. The vast majority of Montana 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 fact, last year, the typical host shared their home for fewer than three days a month, bringing in $5,200 to help make ends meet. These dollars not only help households make ends meet, but also contribute to spending at small businesses in our neighborhoods. An average of 35 percent of guest spending occurs in the neighborhood where they stay, bringing economic benefits to small businesses well beyond the traditional tourist hotspots. 1 Airbnb provides all hosts and guests with a $1 million insurance policy. For more information, see: https://www.airbnb.com/host-protection-insurance; https://www.airbnb.com/guarantee. Bozeman has one of the largest communities of Airbnb hosts and users in the state. In 2016: • There were 300 Active Hosts who welcomed 13,000 guests to 350 listings, with the typical host earning $5,500 over the course of the year. • 72 percent of Bozeman hosts are women, with the average host age being 44. • 37 percent of hosts are over 50. Supplemental income from STR is particularly important to this population, which often struggles to “age in place” on fixed incomes. • The typical listing was rented for 49 nights, highlighting the fact that most hosts are not full-time commercial operators, but instead rent out their home or a portion of their home during vacations or other times when they are out of town. In fact, nearly 80 percent of listings are rented for fewer than 90 days a year, with only 5 percent of listings renting for more than 180 days a year. • Guests stayed an average of 3.3 nights per stay, with an average group size of only 2.4 people, showing that short-term rentals on Airbnb are primarily couples and families. • The average age of guests was 40. • In addition to those who visited Bozeman using Airbnb, 12,000 Bozeman residents used Airbnb to travel elsewhere in the U.S. and abroad in 2016. Bozeman should embrace this community by following the lead of other municipalities that have passed comprehensive regulations that recognize the benefits of home sharing. We look forward to working with you to craft regulations that protect public safety and quality of life while ensuring that home sharing can continue to be an economic boon to your community. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Andrew L. Kalloch Airbnb CC: Hon. Cynthia Andrus, Deputy Mayor Hon. Chris Mehl, Commissioner Hon. I-Ho Pomeroy, Commissioner Hon. Jeff Krauss, Commissioner