Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn met this week with concerned South Boston residents regarding short-term rentals platforms like AirBnB and Investor Units – entire buildings or units that are not owner-occupied and strictly used for AirBnB and short-term rentals. Councilor Flynn and neighbors discussed the quality of life issues that arisen in the neighborhood due to Investor Units and absentee landlords.
Flynn declared that he will support upcoming proposals to ban Investor Units so that corporations are unable to buy up housing stock and drive displacement in our neighborhoods. In addition, Flynn noted he supports allowing owner-occupied properties to engage in short-term rental activity.
Flynn said,” These Investor Units are essentially unregulated hotels with absentee landlords that are skirting the rooming house laws; however, they’re not held to the same public safety requirements as hotels. There are big corporations taking our housing stock, displacing residents and driving up rents. They affect the quality of life for our residents due to issues like trash removal, parking, and noise. I will vote in support of upcoming proposals that ban Investor Units, while permitting owner-occupied properties to participate in short-term rentals.”
For more information, please contact Councilor Flynn’s office at 617-635-3452 or Ed.Flynn@Boston.Gov.
