Short-term rentals are bringing tangible benefits to homeowners, residents, travelers, businesses and local communities in cities around the globe.

But restrictive short-term rental regulations at the local level can have the unintended consequence of limiting those benefits.

We represent the interests of the millions of people across the U.S. who participate in and benefit from the vital, dynamic and growing short-term rental marketplace.

As short-term rentals grow in popularity, we are working with local residents and short-term rental providers to share information, establish best practices and advance smart short-term rental regulation that safeguards travelers, alleviates neighborhood concerns and provides a framework for ensuring compliance.

Our goal is simple: To allow the short-term rental marketplace to continue to thrive to the benefit of all stakeholders.

 

Our Principles

• We believe people have a right to rent their property on a short-term basis.
•  We believe the short-term rental marketplace brings tangible benefits to homeowners, residents, travelers and local communities in cities around the world.
• We believe local short-term rental regulations should be easy to locate, understand and comply with.
• We believe existing “good neighbor” laws provide sufficient protection against any disruptive behavior on the part of long-term residents or their guests.

 

FAQ

Who is behind the Short Term Rental Advocacy Center?
The Short Term Rental Advocacy Center (STRAC) was created by Airbnb, HomeAway, TripAdvisor and FlipKey responding to requests from our communities who asked for help in engaging with policymakers who are considering how smart regulations can responsibly foster this growing industry.

Why was the Short Term Rental Advocacy Center created?
In communities all across the country, individual residents, property managers, travelers, and policymakers are asking questions about regulation of short-term rentals.

As leaders in the short-term rental marketplace, we felt obligated to make sure our communities had a reliable source of information to contribute to this discussion. That’s why we formed the Short Term Rental Advocacy Center (STRAC). Working collaboratively with others who benefit from this growing market, the STRAC compiles the best data and resources available for use in understanding the impacts and advocating for smart regulation of short-term rentals, and offers a platform that allows individuals in these communities to easily access, distribute and use that information and connect with others who support short-term rentals.

What is a short-term rental?
A residential property rented for less than 30 consecutive days.

What are the benefits of the short-term rental industry?
The short-term rental industry provides a unique travel experience and offers a broad range of accommodation options for travelers, supplemental income for local residents and increased revenue in local communities, when visitors frequent local businesses. In many cases, short-term rentals provide a lower-cost alternative for travelers, enabling them to take trips that might be cost-prohibitive or simply difficult to find suitable accommodations for families or groups with more traditional lodging options.

Why do local residents need to supplement their income with short-term rentals?
Some residents rented their homes on a short-term basis to supplement their incomes and pay bills, especially during the recent economic downturn.

Is this a new industry?
No. Short-term rentals have been available in vacation locations for decades. However, short-term rentals have become more popular as the Internet has helped make them more accessible and affordable.

What about some of the laws that have already passed?
We support compliance with existing laws, whether that be collection of local taxes, registration requirements or other provisions.

However, we believe any regulations on short-term rentals should be easy to locate, understand and comply with, and existing regulations tend to provide ample tools for addressing the actions of a few bad apples, for example, noise ordinances, neighborhood parking regulations, trash guidelines.

What does “joining” my local chapter mean?
If you join a local chapter, you will receive for regular updates on short-term rental regulations and relevant meetings in your community. We will not overwhelm your email account, and we will never sell your email address or contact information to third parties. You’ll also have the opportunity to share your story and get involved in chapter activities.

What if there is not a local chapter near me? How can I start one?
We want to hear about what’s going on in your area. Visit the STRAC Chapter Locator. If you don’t see a chapter near you, email us at info@stradvocacy.org and let us know where you would like to see STRAC grow.