Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonDecember 3, 2018

Airbnb filed suit against Palm Beach County Monday over the county tax collector’s charge that the vacation rental company should be policing listings on its platform for users who aren’t paying bed taxes. The lawsuit, filed in Palm Beach Circuit Court, centers around a rule that requires users who list homes on the site, also […]

Danny McAuliffeNovember 27, 2018

There may be new legislative leadership, but old lawmaking sticking points are shaping up to remain unchanged. The Florida League of Cities, for example, recently unveiled its legislative priorities for the upcoming 2019 Legislative Session. Perennial issues line the group’s platform. But most fit under the ideological umbrella of Home Rule, the idea that local […]

Scott PowersNovember 20, 2018

HomeAway, the vacation rental-home marketing company, is moving forward with efforts to collect taxes from its home-sharing clients for Florida and several major counties. The company, with its affiliated companies and brands including VRBO and VacationRentals.com, is doing so with new deals cut individually with Orange, Pinellas and Lee counties to collect and remit local […]

Scott PowersNovember 19, 2018

Vacation rental homeowners marketed by Airbnb in Tallahassee and Gainesville combined to welcome nearly 14,000 visitors during the seven weekends of Florida State and University of Florida home football games, the company announced Monday. It means, Airbnb stated in a news release, that Tallahassee vacation rental home guests in its system earned $840,000 during Seminole […]

Peter SchorschNovember 17, 2018

There’s a 50 or so mile stretch of California coast where a staggering amount of the western world’s innovations are born. From San Francisco to Palo Alto, Mountain View and Cupertino, entrepreneurs with big ideas flock there for two reasons: proximity to a highly specialized workforce and access to an embarrassing amount of the most […]

Scott PowersOctober 29, 2018

Yet again, a 21st-century business model is clashing with how business always has been done — creating a running battle at Orlando International Airport and other airports where authorities are trying to stop emerging car-sharing operations from acting, in the airports’ views, as unpermitted, unregulated rental-car companies. Specifically, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and Turo, […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorOctober 12, 2018

Airbnb again expanded it Open Homes Program for residents displaced by Hurricane Michael as well as relief workers in town to assist with recovery efforts. The program provides free temporary housing in participating hosts’ homes. The activation zone now includes three states – Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina – and has been expanded to […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorOctober 10, 2018

Short-term lodging service Airbnb and some of its hosts are offering free places to stay for displaced neighbors and relief workers deployed to help with storm recovery before, during and after Hurricane Michael. The program runs through October 29. More than 170 property owners are participating in the Open Homes Program as Hurricane Michael barrels toward […]

Scott PowersOctober 9, 2018

The vacation rental-home marketing company Airbnb is opening its ‘Open Homes’ program Tuesday, encouraging its property hosts in Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Central Florida to take in Panhandle evacuees from Hurricane Michael at no charge. The program, which Airbnb has run in past hurricanes including Harvey, Irma, and Maria last year, provides the vacation rental homes […]

Scott PowersSeptember 24, 2018

Vacation rental home business is surging even in Florida’s rural counties, according to a new report from the vacation rental-home marketing firm Airbnb, which showed its business growth had more than doubled in the past year in small counties across the state. Released Monday morning, the report states that Airbnb’s business in the Sunshine State’s […]

Tag: Airbnb

Bed tax brawl: Airbnb sues Palm Beach County

Familiar issues top Florida League of Cities’ legislative priorities

HomeAway signing tourist tax collection agreements

Airbnb claims $840K in Seminole football business, $700K for Gators

In realm of innovation, Florida ’gets there first‘

Next clash over ‘sharing’ business models — cars — being waged at Orlando airport

Airbnb ‘significantly expands’ Open Homes Program for Michael evacuees, relief workers

Airbnb extends ‘Open Homes Program’ to Tampa for Hurricane Michael evacuees and relief workers

Airbnb activates ‘open homes’ program to assist hurricane evacuees

Airbnb report: Vacation rental home activity surges in rural Florida

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.