Toronto. Singapore. Paris. Seattle.
Hosts around the world are learning to navigate the new regulations introduced by local municipalities. Making headlines this week are the controversial rule against secondary suites in Toronto, the first hosts to be charged with breaking the rules in Singapore, the progressive stance allowing hosts to list a maximum of two short-term units in Seattle, and Paris’ attempt to delist 1,000 properties.
Jasper is joined by Glenn Carter, Head of Marketing at Hostfully, to offer insight around this week’s developments in vacation rental regulations. They explain how these regulations have slowed Airbnb’s growth and why expansion in China is essential for the platform’s continued advancement.
Glenn and Jasper also cover the latest initiatives and programs at Airbnb, including the use of augmented and virtual reality to improve guest experience, the Airbnb data science in-house academy, and a new Top Quality badge. Listen in and learn how listings receive the designation and why the feature changes based on fil15ers and personalized search results!
Topics Covered
Article #1: New Airbnb Regulations for the City of Toronto
- Limited to offering primary residence
- Up to three rooms, 180 days/year
- Hosts must register with city
- Blocked use of secondary suites
- 10K hosts, make average of $5K/year
Article #2: Two Airbnb Hosts Charged Over Illegal Home Sharing in First Case Under New Laws
- Regulations hadn’t been enforced
- Face steep fines (up to $200K)
Article #3: Paris Asks Airbnb to Delist 1,000 Apartments
- Rules limit short-term rentals to 120 days/year
- 65K listings, only 11K registered
- Unclear how city determined list
Article #4: Seattle Approves New Airbnb Regulations to Limit Short-Term Rentals to 2 Units Per Host
- Two units per host is progressive stance
- Limits prevent commercial operators
- Two-year process to establish rules
Article #5: Airbnb Sees China as Its Number One Market by 2020
- Airbnb not growing as fast (4M listings, 14% increase)
- Co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk leading operations in China
- Local authorities favor Chinese companies
- Opportunity to list on multiple platforms may help Airbnb
Article #6: Developing the Next Realities for Travel
- Use of VR/AR before, during trip
- 3D tour of property, preview of cultural hotspots
- Details on rollout not provided
Topic #7: Airbnb Top Quality Badge Pilot Program
- Four highest rated listings on every page
- Not a permanent designation
- Dependent upon listings displayed (i.e.: filters, personalized search results)
- Somewhat confusing, may or may not affect user behavior
Article #8: To Increase Data Skills, Airbnb Has Started Its Own University
- Study data science, analytics
- Available in Airbnb offices around world
- Unclear if recruiting platform or internship
Resources Mentioned
Article #1: womenspost.ca/new-airbnb-regulations-city-toronto/
Article #2: straitstimes.com/singapore/two-airbnb-hosts-charged-over-illegal-home-sharing-in-first-case-under-new-laws
Article #3: techcrunch.com/2017/12/11/paris-asks-airbnb-to-delist-a-thousand-apartments
Article #4: geekwire.com/2017/seattle-approves-new-airbnb-regulations-limit-short-term-rentals-2-units-per-host/
Article #5: zdnet.com/article/airbnb-sees-china-as-its-number-one-market-by-2020/
Article #6: press.atairbnb.com/developing-the-next-realities-for-travel/
Topic #7: facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156064824299430&set=gm.1971071529882792&type=3&theater&ifg=1
Article #8: wired.co.uk/article/airbnb-in-house-data-university-employee-skills
Connect with Jasper
Email: jasper@getpaidforyourpad.com
Twitter: @GetPaidForUrPad
Instagram: @GetPaidForYourPad
Facebook: www.facebook.com/getpaidforyourpad
This episode is sponsored by Aviva IQ. Aviva IQ automates messages to your Airbnb guests. It's also free!
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