[dmitriy_ko]

"AirBnb increasing rents" is theory popularized by hotel industry and never been confirmed with hard data. AirBnb allows anyone to profit from demand for lodging, as opposed to few large hotel chains taking all profit. For many AirBnb hosts it's their livelihood. E.g. do you see benefit in anyone being able to start a restaurant or do you think only large restaurant chains should be able to do it? Also AirBnb increases tourist traffic benefiting other businesses.

[Zhenya]

Well you stepped right into it.

You need a TON of permits to open a restaurant and you can not open in your house, it has to be in a commercial space.

Furthermore, you are free to open your own hotel. You just need to do it in a commercial zoned area since you are doing commercial things.

[rco8786]

Technology has always outrun regulation. It’s not any different in these cases. Regulators will catch up as they always have. This, truly, is how progress has been made since the dawn of time.

You’re taking the same position people took against the printing press, automobiles, and computers when they were all in their infancy.

Restaurants in people’s homes were incredibly common until health regulators showed up.

[lazyasciiart]

Regulation was way ahead of airbnb here. Enforcement had to catch up.

[rco8786]

Yes I did sort of lump those together. But it's not 100% enforcement either. Lots of place didn't and don't have rules against short term rentals - but we're seeing more and more pop up in response to Abnb

[luckydata]

Yeah, I wonder why.

[rco8786]

I don’t follow your comment, though it seems pretty sarcastic.

How do you suggest that it works? How do you propose that we regulate innovation before the innovation occurs? Bit difficult, no?

[Zhenya]

some regulation is useful

I wonder if RCO8786 would eat at a small family owned restaurant with a low health score.

[rco8786]

Of course not. I’m in no way arguing against regulation, I have no idea how you concluded that. I’m saying that regulation always trails innovation.