Airbnbs Could Be Banned From Southwest Side Neighborhood As Opposition Rekindles

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jun 23, 2017 3:40PM

Remember last year when a not-insignificant faction of the City Council wanted to crack down on Airbnb and its fellow home-share brethren? Well, that desire to push back never really went away for some. The City Council on Thursday paved a path that would allow portions of a Southwest Side ward to ban home-sharing rentals, the Sun-Times reports. It's the first time such a move has advanced, and other Council members may well follow suit.

An ordinance that bars Airbnb-style rentals in four precincts of Ald. Marty Quinn's ward (13th) passed committee and will go ahead of the full Council next week, where it's expected to pass. Quinn's ward includes portions of West Lawn, Clearing, West Elsdon and Garfield Ridge. Midway International Airport falls just north.

In order to ban home-share rentals, residents must collect signatures from 25 percent of a precinct's voters within 90 days.

The ordinance that was ultimately passed by the City Council last year to restrict home-sharing proved to be fairly light. There was no cap on how many nights per year a host could rent out a property (hosts do pay a one-time $60 fee); although the ordinance did put stiffer parameters on how many units a large building could rent out.

It also provided residents with the option we're just now seeing played out on the Southwest Side, wherein a precinct can shut the door if enough people are on board. It'll be interesting to see who else follows suit.