Councilors Wayne Matewsky and Mike McLaughlin are absolutely right in suggesting before the council last week that Everett’s Airbnb regulations need to be tweaked to come in touch with reality to protect everyone’s right to peace and quiet in this city wherever they live.
City Clerk Sergio Cornelio revealed that not one application for an Airbnb license has been filled out and filed with his office since the council required such a regulation some months back.
What this proves are two important things.
First, the city does indeed need to put some teeth into its Airbnb regulations.
Second, and more importantly, the city, through the city clerk, must scour Everett Airbnb advertisements and begin requiring the various locations to come into the office and to fill out applications to operate legally in this city.
Virtually no one is going to do this on their own.
Without this kind of attention paid to business, virtually no Airbnb rentor in the city is going to give a hoot about registering.
Airbnb itself has become far more responsible to the needs of the tens of thousands of communities where it operates.
Airbnb already takes out and delivers to various states and communities, fees and taxes as part of its own efforts to regulate the business.
We would suggest that the council and the city clerk invite an Airbnb official to speak about the company’s efforts to police itself and how these efforts might integrate with the city’s desire to have some sense of control over the operations wherever they exist in Everett.
Airbnb for the most part is about good business for owners of properties and for local businesses who benefit from out of towners discovering our city.
Tossing Airbnb around like a bad neighbor would be a mistake for everyone.