If you offer rooms in your Canton home for rent through Airbnb, the city wants to restrict and regulate such activity.
On the recommendation of Mayor Thomas Bernabei’s administration, the Canton Planning Commission voted unanimously last week to approve a change in the zoning code that would limit Airbnb rentals.
You should know that I am a member of the Planning Commission and voted to approve the zoning proposal, along with every other member who was present on Feb. 13.
Airbnb and similar rentals would be limited to a conditional use in the R-4 residential zoning district. R-4 is a high-density (up to 58 dwelling units per acre), multifamily district that is designed to be a buffer between non-residential areas and neighborhoods of single- and two-family homes.
An out-of-control New Year’s Eve party at a Seven Hills, Ohio, Airbnb rental is the sort of problem Canton is hoping to avoid:
The proposal is not law until City Council votes to make it law. Before the proposal comes up for a vote, there would be a public hearing. Such an ordinance would protect single-family homeowners, in my view, but if you are inclined to do business through Airbnb or similar services, you should know that it is coming your way.
So you want to protect people from themselves? To prevent people from making agreements between each other? Because some fool violated an Air BnB contract?
ReplyDeleteShouldn't we focus our efforts on enforcing existing laws instead of making laws that violate personal property rights?
I have operated an Air Bnb since last May. Not only has it been a great supplement to a fixed income, but it has been a great way for me to meet people from around the world. My guests are fabulous people. They enjoy my referrals to such establishments as Benders, Tim's Tavern, and Canton Brew Co. Air Bnb brings hundreds of thousands of dollars into Canton from travelers who prefer to do business more privately.
ReplyDeleteI have never had an unpleasant experience. My neighbors have never been disrupted. In fact, they are thrilled because my house always looks beautiful, inside and out.
Canton should be begging for more Air BnBs