Rental properties like Airbnb’s will soon face regulation in Kansas City. The city recently released the first draft of a new policy aimed at regulating the more than 300 short-term rental properties.
Matt Rice rents several properties on Airbnb and said he welcomes regulations but believes the current proposal is too restrictive.
“What's really more restricting is that you cannot be somebody who just rents an apartment and then put it on Airbnb, and in fact, that's most of the people who are doing it in the city,” said Rice.
Current proposed standards would require the property owner to live in the unit for a minimum of 275 days per calendar year.
There’s also a $596 permit fee for short-term stays. That fee also would apply to traditional bed and breakfasts.
Nancy Miller is the co-owner of Southmoreland on the Plaza. She’s had to pay fees since they opened 18 years ago.
Miller said it only makes sense to regulate other rentals similarly. “It is not a level playing field. We are paying for all sorts of inspections and licenses that they are not. So, we are paying for the right to serve food, have lodging inspections by both the state and the city.”
The city is taking public comment on the issue until the beginning of March.
Both Miller and Rice are hopeful everyone can come to a compromise that seems fair and even.
Miller said, “We're happy that other people are in this business, it just seems to us that people should all be under the same guidelines or something that is similar that is fair.”
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Shannon Halligan can be reached at shannon.halligan@kshb.com.
