Portland Drafts Ordinance To Crackdown On Short-Term Rentals

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Portland’s mayor is planning to introduce an ordinance that would force online short-term rental companies like Airbnb to take down unpermitted rentals.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the proposed crackdown in Oregon’s largest city follows a federal court ruling in March that dealt a legal blow to Airbnb’s long-held position that it is not responsible for policing unpermitted listings on its site.

Portland’s revenue division has been trying to reach a voluntary agreement with the company for more than a year over unpermitted rentals.

The city says Airbnb’s latest offer represented a step backward, so it is preparing to try a tougher tactic: an ordinance that goes after Airbnb’s profits.

The draft ordinance would prevent Airbnb from collecting booking fees on unpermitted rentals in Portland.

It’s modeled after a similar ordinance in Santa Monica, California, that was recently upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Airbnb