Airbnb in DC

[Briana Smith]

Hey! I am looking for leads for cohosting and rental arbitrage in the DMV (DC, MD, VA) area. After doing analysis, it looks like the best way to make a good return is to try an STR in DC proper, but when I look up regulations for DC the verbiage is as follows.

"A vacation rental is a type of short-term rental that allows a host to offer fee-based lodging at their primary residence without being present on the property e.g. use of the entire home. Cumulatively, vacation rentals cannot exceed 90 nights in any calendar year, and each rental is limited to 30 or fewer continuous nights."

I am confused because when I go onto to Airbnb and AirDNA it appears that there are several listing that are killing it with high occupancy rates and definitely renting the place out more than 90 days. Am I reading the data wrong or misunderstanding the guidelines? Also, if anyone knows someone that is doing STRs in the DMV area or an owner who is trying to get into it, please connect me. I would love a local mentor or possible client.