A weekend topic starting with Yahoo Finance. "The short-term rental market has come into focus following Airbnb's latest earnings results highlighting growth opportunities beyond homeowners just listing properties. According to data from AirDNA, the top markets for short-term rentals in 2024 are: Columbus, Georgia; Ellsworth, Maine; and Logan, Ohio. Yahoo Finance Housing Reporter Dani Romero breaks down the details. AKIKO FUJITA: Dani, we should point out Airbnb likes to say that it isn't always about users on their platform who are just trying to cash in on homes that they buy just to rent out, but there is still a lot of opportunity for additional income here."

"At number one, we have Columbus, Georgia. AirDNA estimates a robust demand. The average daily rate is $178. And investors could gain about $29,000 in revenue. Now, the city does require permits for short-term rentals and certificate of occupancy. Second on the list is Ellsworth, Maine. AirDNA estimates the average daily rate for this area to be $335. And investors could gain $41,000 in revenue. Lastly is Logan, Ohio. And the case there is to be made is that visitors can come and visit the area for the rugged valleys that it offers AirDNA estimates that the average daily rate is $343. And investors could earn up to $57,000 in revenue."

"But it's important to note that Logan has strict zoning regulations and requires registration and licensing fees. Bottom line, as an investor and a visitor, do your research before going out to that area. AKIKO FUJITA: $57,000 in revenue. It's not bad. Not a bad return there."

Boston.com in Massachusetts. "There’s good news right now for Cape Cod vacationers this summer: more rental properties are available than during the same time last year. WeNeedAVacation.com, which offers more than 4,000 listings on the Cape, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard, and Pretty Picky Properties, which manages 220 properties across 11 Cape Cod towns, say there’s plenty of rentals available in June, July, and August. There’s currently about 18,000 short-term rentals on the Cape, said Paul Niedzwiecki, CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce. 'With the increase in inventory for short term rentals, I think we’re starting to see a lot more competition which is good news for consumers,' he said."

"Pretty Picky Properties is about 60% booked, similar to last year at this time, said CEO Black Decker. 'The amount of available properties to rent is still very high,' said Decker. 'The main reason, we believe, is most people who have bought homes on the Cape in the past three years or so bought them during the pandemic era and had a vision of using them quite a bit and now that the world has returned to a normal schedule they have these very expensive assets that they aren’t using as much and so they entered the rental pool.' Decker said his message to property owners this year is to focus on occupancy over rate. 'So not go up and, in some cases, go down,' he said about the price. 'We are seeing more price sensitivity from vacationers.''

From KHON 2. "With the legislative session underway, one of the bills that is making headlines proposes to outlaw foreigners from purchasing property in Hawaii under certain circumstances. Governor Josh Green calls the bill 'unconstitutional.' To solve Hawaii’s affordable crisis, Green is looking at adding inventory to the market by cracking down on illegal short-term vacation rentals. Green told us: 'I am going to do all that I can to transition short-term rentals to long-term rentals for our local people and that means taxing the heck out of them if people aren’t owners here and on property. We have 52% of our short-term rentals owned by mainland guys, I want them to divest so that local people can either rent or buy those properties. Because right now people are gouging others, they’re getting 400% of their earnings on short-term rentals mostly when they’re in the illegal kind of space as opposed to just regular rent for local families, so that’s the approach that thoughtful and cogent legislatures are taking.'"

KCRW in California. "The LA County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday in favor of an ordinance that would regulate short-term rentals like Airbnbs in unincorporated parts of the county. The proposed ordinance, if passed when it comes up for a final vote on March 19, will put limits and new fees on property owners looking to rent out their homes. The vote was unanimous, but it’s not without controversy and confusion about how the proposal will work. The short answer is: The supes are trying to bring the county in line with the City of LA, Santa Monica, and other local cities that already have limits on rentals."

"Many who turned out were East LA residents who came bearing horror stories of party houses, traffic, noise, trash, and backyard nudity. The focus is on operators who buy up multiple homes that are exclusively used as rentals. These party houses reduce housing stock, negatively influence quality of life, and increase risks in fire-prone areas like Topanga, the group argued. Ellen Snortland has a trailer and studio space on her property in Altadena that she started renting out around 2009, after she took out a disastrous loan against her property."

"'We tanked and our house went into foreclosure,' she explains. “So we started to brainstorm. … What can we do that's not selling our souls, and that is dignified, and yet will yield enough revenue for us to stay in our house, literally?' Snortland says she strongly opposes the proposed ordinance, and is going to continue renting, ordinance or no. 'Well, there's my rebel part, which is: Come after me,' she says. 'While I am a bleeding-heart liberal in many ways, and completely see how people who can't sleep at night because their next-door neighbors have [a party house rental], I would be out there with pitchforks and torches, too. But that ain't us.'"

From Fortune. "A 'vacation rental investor' and 'proprietor of fine Airbnbs,' X user blasted South Lake Tahoe’s short-term rental ban yesterday. Rohin Dhar, who claims to have Airbnbs in Sonoma, Kauai, Taos, Mount Hood, Yosemite, and Asheville, wrote that the resort city’s near total ban implemented more than five years ago created a 'short-term rental Armageddon.' However, instead of easing the housing affordability crisis within the city, he claims, 'home prices cratered and people scooped them up as second homes,' and he claims that some of them are sitting empty. 'There is still a housing affordability crisis…when a resort area bans Airbnb, the only thing that happens is wealthy people get good deals on second homes that mostly sit around vacant,' Dhar wrote, mocking the so-called Measure T."

Arizona Family. "It’s a stunning, luxury home in Fountain Hills complete with eight bedrooms, 10,000 square feet, a negative edge pool and incredible views. And prior to the WM Phoenix Open, the home was posted on Airbnb for rent for almost $2,700 a night. 'Are you renting or have you ever rented out your Fountain Hills home?' On Your Side’s Gary Harper asked the homeowner, Allen Tao. 'No, never. Never at all,' he replied. So, why was Allen’s home listed on Airbnb as available for rent? On Your Side would like to ask that question to Orly Stays, the so-called host who posted it on Airbnb. But all contact information has been removed."

"According to Airbnb’s website, Tao says his house was listed as unavailable for Feb. 9-11. Those are the most popular days for out-of-town guests to attend the WM Phoenix Open and it means someone may have paid almost $7,998 for three nights to rent. But Tao’s home was never even available. 'There are two victims. The homeowner, like me, is a victim and those people who are trying to rent the house, they are a victim,' Tao said."

"And then, there was the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Remember Orly Stays who posted Allen’s Fountain Hills house for rent on Airbnb? Well, On Your Side discovered that Orly Stays posted two Las Vegas luxury homes as available for rent as well, one of which was going for more than $7,000 a night. It’s unclear if anyone actually rented the homes, but Allen says it certainly makes you wonder. 'If they show up to the house, the actual owners are living there and they (the guests) have already paid the money and now they wouldn’t be allowed to live in there, so it’s just ridiculous to me,' Tao said."

"On Your Side has discovered numerous negative reviews regarding Orly Stays. One said, 'Airbnb needs to ban this host’s account indefinitely.' Another wrote, 'Do not waste your time booking this rental. This rental is a scam.' On Your Side brought the issue to the attention of Airbnb, which is currently investigating. As for Tao, he’s concerned angry victims could show up at his home demanding their money back—money he never took. 'I ended up having to file a report with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office because I don’t want any issues,' he explained. 'If someone shows up because they are a victim, too. But if someone shows up to my house, some strangers, it can be a real safety concern to me and my family.'"

"Renters say the one common theme is that Orly Stays has a history of canceling the rental within 24 hours of a guest’s arrival, citing an 'unplanned maintenance issue.' But by then, they had already paid. On Your Side will let you know the results of Airbnb’s investigation in a follow-up report."

CBC News in Canada. "The Township of Muskoka Lakes, which covers a popular part of Ontario's cottage country, is moving one step closer to clamping down on short-term rentals like Airbnbs and VRBOs in the area. At a public meeting Tuesday, dozens of residents shared their thoughts on a proposed bylaw that would require cottage owners to apply for a licence allowing them to rent their properties. The proposed bylaw classifies a short-term rental as a dwelling used as accommodation for 28 days or less."

"For cottage owners like Todd Perry, whose family has enjoyed a lake in the area for seven decades, it's about time something is done about short-term rentals. His family cottage is next to a property that's frequently rented out. 'Your kids come up to you and say, 'Dad, I don't feel comfortable sitting on the dock because of the bachelor party that's being held beside us,' he said. 'We have to deal with up to 12 or more people every weekend beside us. It's like a commercial hotel. I go up there to relax.' He said they face issues like DJs blasting music, bottles and cans rolling in the water and pets running wild."

"Meanwhile, some cottage owners, and rental agencies that represent them, argue the problems with short-term rentals can largely be blamed on a few owners who don't care about preserving peace and quiet. They say bylaws like the one being proposed could lead some owners to choose not to rent their cottages, leading to economic consequences in the region. Cheryl MacMillan said she relies on supplementary income from renting to help cover the costs associated with her property. The proposed seven-night minimum stay requirement, she said, would limit her business. In eight years of renting, she said she's only had three bookings for week-long stays."

"She argued the township already has the power to keep the peace. 'We do not need any new laws to manage parking, noise or waste management, as they relate to (short-term rentals)' she said. 'Rather, what we need are by-law officers to enforce what already exists.' But Mayor Kelley says licensing only works if all renters pay fees to cover administrative costs."

"The Muskoka Lakes Association represents 2,000 cottagers in the area and vice-president Ken Pearce said the group sees both sides of the issue. 'Some of them have to rent their cottages to help with paying for the upkeep and the property taxes and to enable them to continue to own it,' he said, but that has often come at the expense of peace and quiet. 'For some people, it's right next door to you. It can be terrible.'"

Castanet in Canada. "A number of government regulations aimed at improving the housing market are having the opposite affect, according to one Kelowna real estate professional. Jeff Hudson co-founder of HM Commercial Realty made the comment to a room full of interested onlookers during the company's annual Crystal Ball event on the state of the real estate and development market in Kelowna."

"'New high rise projects need to be average $1,200-a-square-foot to provide any level of profit and the developer needs 60 to 70 per cent in pre-sales,' said Hudson. 'There are not enough home buyers to have these projects make sense. It relies on investors and the problem is between high finance costs, the speculation tax, prohibition on foreign buyers and the change to short-term rentals, it's removed the flexibility for a lot of these investors. Ask any condo developer…investors for condos are not at the table right now.'"

"Thursday's event also featured a diverse panel with expertise on various aspects of the industry including Shane Worman with Worman Commercial. 'Anything that discourages units being built is going to hurt,' added Worman. 'As many rules as we are putting in to build stuff, we are putting in a few that are hurting it as well. Whether it's the foreign buyer or the short-term rentals, all of those things are killing the condo market.' He says take away those investment type buyers and the condo market is dead."