Airbnb willing to work with cities on tax collection

Airbnb has unveiled a set of of policy recommendations, as well as concessions it’s willing to make to local and state governments. 

In its “policy tool chest” that the company released Wednesday, Airbnb outlined recommendations in four areas: tax collection, being good neighbors, accountability, and transparency and privacy. 

{mosads}The short-term rental service said it would be willing to work with municipalities in collecting tax revenue through voluntary collection agreements. The company also said it is interested in facilitating revenue-sharing agreements between landlords and tenants who host Airbnbs. 

“Cities understand that home-sharing is an economic empowerment tool for the middle class,” Chris Lehane, Airbnb’s head of global policy and communications, told reporters during a Wednesday conference call.

Airbnb has come under scrutiny and faced regulatory crackdowns in cities around the globe. The San Francisco-based company has tried to work with cities in shaping the new regulatory measures. 

In London and Amsterdam, the rental platform agreed to compromise on annual caps limiting the number of nights a host can rent their home on Airbnb. San Francisco is considering a similar measure. 

In New York, Airbnb sued the city in attempt to block a restrictive measure that would significantly hamper the platform there.

Supporters of the regulatory measures argue that without action, Airbnb could worsen the housing shortage in competitive real estate markets.