{"id":157324,"date":"2016-10-06T18:00:05","date_gmt":"2016-10-06T22:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/?p=157324"},"modified":"2016-10-06T18:08:19","modified_gmt":"2016-10-06T22:08:19","slug":"airbnb-battling-proposed-seattle-rental-restrictions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/archives\/airbnb-battling-proposed-seattle-rental-restrictions","title":{"rendered":"Airbnb battling proposed Seattle rental restrictions with new ad campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"airbnb<\/a>Screenshot: AirbnbAction\/YouTube<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

If you own a TV, listen to the radio or have internet access in the Seattle area, by now you’ve probably experienced one of Airbnb’s new ads. They are hard to miss. The ad campaign<\/a> comes in response to a proposed city ordinance that would impose new regulations and taxes on short-term rental hosts. Advocates of the legislation argue that owners who operate their properties like hotels are having\u00a0a negative impact on Seattle’s\u00a0long-term housing market and are making\u00a0the city less affordable. Now Airbnb has set out to prove them wrong.<\/p>\n

The ads feature three diverse Seattle residents sharing how short-term rentals have made a difference in their lives. Each resident describes how extra income from Airbnb allows them to afford to live in an increasingly expensive city that they\u2019d otherwise have to leave. To pack an extra punch, the ads emphasize the economic benefits for neighborhood businesses when short-term renters spend money at Seattle bars and restaurants.<\/p>\n