Airbnb going the way of the dinosaur?

[John Park]

I have been exploring the possibility of Airbnb and short term rentals, but lately there has been a lot of discouraging news about cities really cracking down on Airbnb's short term rental model. San Francisco and Paris most recently, I think. It seems as if the powers that be, not only here in the US but worldwide really have a disdain for Airbnb. Might it not really be worth it to even hunt for a property for Airbnb seeing as the model may become a dinosaur in the not so distant future? Or am I misinterpreting the latest news about the business?

[Nick P.]

John -- The general mindset of a lot of these tourism focused areas is that air bnb is hurting the hotel industry (and presumably has more money/lobbying to throw at the issue).  Here in denver we have a tax that is little over 10% for air bnb short term rentals.  Additionally, your rental must be your primary residence.  I assume cities don't like that they aren't seeing much of this/any revenue from these rentals as well.

I personally see airbnb as continuing to grow significantly, but with the normal obstacles of any major shift in an industry.  I would think of uber/lyft as a comparison, over time I imagine a happy medium will be found!