The measure would not impose limits on the number of Airbnbs, Vrbos and other rentals in Anchorage, but it would help officials understand the impact of short-term rentals on the city’s housing supply.
Two Anchorage Assembly members are proposing a new city licensing program for short-term and vacation rental units, including houses, apartments and bedrooms rented via online booking platforms Airbnb and Vrbo.
All but $50 of that fee could be waived if the short-term rental unit is part of the owner’s primary residence, or if the owner has rented it to an individual for a total of more than 180 days of the preceding 12 months. That’s meant to encourage people to put short-term units back into the long-term rental market, Sulte said.
The proposal would place some limits on what structures can be used for short-term rentals: Sleeping areas for guests must be in a finished living space — so no sheds, garages or closets. Short-term rentals couldn’t be in commercial or industrial spaces, nor would they be allowed in recreational vehicles like vans or RVs.
That piece is important, especially when it comes to companies that may own short-term rentals, Zaletel said. The ordinance would set out three fines: A ticket for renting a unit without a license would come with a penalty of $300 per each night of renting; $300 for an advertising violation; and $75 for a manager or owner failing to respond within one hour.
Alaska has a large tourism industry as well as many itinerant workers like locum tenens doctors and traveling nurses, Zaletel said.
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