WATCH OUT, BOSTON! UMass study blames high rents on Air BNB!

[Charlie MacPherson]

Watch out Boston short-term rental owners!  Boston 25 News had a report this morning about a UMass study on Boston rentals.

http://www.fox25boston.com/video?videoId=682572778...

The study (to which they did not provide a link) is blaming the shortage of rental units and the rising prices on the increase in short term rentals.

They include footage of a mom with 3 kids (presumably single - no mention of dad), complaining about paying $1600/month in Allston, where the average rent over the last 6 months was $2,854.  

She's getting a KILLER deal on rent, but they make her out to be this poor downtrodden mom.

Typical of a biased media report, they claim correlation between the rise in Air BNB units and increasing rents, but failed to even address whether there is causation - they just assume it.  

They also include footage from a spokeman from ADCO - an alliance of 9 different "resident groups", talking about how bad things are for renters.

http://www.adco.rocks/

They're pushing for regulating Air BNB and presumably others like VRBO.  They even included a boneheaded statement from a real estate agent (!!!) agreeing that regulation is needed - and a mention of a state rep who has filed for more regulation and TAXATION of short term rentals.  Of course, politicians can't resist the urge to stick their hands in the pockets of you greedy property owners.

So watch out, Boston short term rental owners.  Here comes the onslaught of regulations and new taxes!

[Charlie MacPherson]

@Russell Brazil Exactly.  Correlation doesn't not mean causation.  

Living people excluded, I can confidently state that 100% of people who ate carrots during their life eventually died.  That's 100% correlation.  

Therefore, carrots cause death.  

Therefore, we need to regulate and tax carrots.

I swear, critical thinking is a lost skill.  Especially when ratings are at stake.