[toomuchtodo]

I argue AirBnB should be banned anywhere building cannot be done at a rate which ensures affordable housing can exist for locals. Whether that is due to construction labor shortages, density, zoning, whatever, it does not matter. AirBnB can exist where there is surplus housing capacity, but should be banned anywhere else.

Locals get votes, tourists and AirBnB do not. The harm of not being able to afford housing is far worse than harm incurred by not being able to book a vacation rental you prefer.

[jupp0r]

Following your logic, why not ban hotels?

[toomuchtodo]

Hotels go through an approval process to be built, and are regulated (where as AirBnB exists to skirt lodging regulation). Hotels are not competing against residential housing, but AirBnB is.

[jupp0r]

Of course hotels are competing against residential housing. They take up land that could be used for residential housing instead.

[bsder]

Outside of downtown areas in the biggest cities in the US, it is very unlikely that a hotel is built in an area that people would want to build residential housing.

Normally hotels are built near either business or tourist areas. Very few people want their residences in the suburban office park areas. Tourist areas tend to be older areas that have strong restrictions on new development--hotels there have to go through long permitting processes.

[lotsoweiners]

> Very few people want their residences in the suburban office park areas.

Not sure what you’re implying here but in the US homes in the suburbs back up to office parks all the time.

[ghaff]

>Very few people want their residences in the suburban office park areas.

Of course they do.

I was just observing yesterday a big condo development right across from a recently-vacated office complex in an ex-urban area where I used to work.

[jupp0r]

Well look at a map of Barcelona. Hotels are in the middle of residential areas throughout the city. Not sure what the permitting process has to do with any of this. Hotels take up land. Land that could be used for residential housing. Permitting can be changed by law (same as banning AirBnbs).

https://www.google.com/maps/search/barcelona+hotels/@41.3806...