Now that Uber is off the agenda at London city council, another hot-button issue from the “sharing” economy is about to replace it: AirBnB.
The community and protective services committee will review a report from city staff on Tuesday, regarding how London should handle what officials call “short-term accommodations.”
As of April 1, there were 367 listings in London for AirBnB, which allows people to rent out a room or their home to visitors, similar to a hotel or a motel.
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City staff are considering licensing options to cover building and fire inspection costs and limiting the number and duration of stays.
Ward 3 Coun. Mo Salih chairs the committee and believes London can learn from the Uber debate.
“During the Uber conversation, there was a lot of report back, report back, change this piece, report back, report back, and I get all that and I appreciate some of it to an extent, but at the same time, everyone in the industry was being impacted and things were in limbo,” he said.
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He hopes council doesn’t take as long making a decision on AirBnB.
City staff say 11,000 people used AirBnB in London last year, with the average guest staying four nights and the average host earning $3,500.
Tuesday’s community and protective services committee meeting begins at 4 p.m.