Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersMay 9, 2018

Airbnb and Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló jointly announced new partnership initiatives Wednesday for the vacation rental-home marketing giant to promote tourism returning to the island. The initiatives will include promotions of Puerto Rico through Airbnb, the launch of an “Experiences” program, essentially private package tours to what Airbnb calls authentic Puerto Rican activities, and […]

Drew WilsonApril 28, 2018

Airbnb this week touted a new report showing Florida seniors are cashing checks thanks to its platform, and the Florida League of Cities said that announcement is proof the company doesn’t need to bypass local governments in the vacation rental food fight. The report showed Florida Airbnb hosts aged 55 and older made more than […]

Scott PowersApril 26, 2018

There is a rising alternative to working as a Walmart greeter: Airbnb contends nearly half of its Florida vacation-rental and home-sharing hosts are seniors, adding $150 million to their incomes in 2017. In a new report released Thursday morning, the vacation rental home marketing giant shows 45 percent of its 40,000 hosts in Florida are […]

Scott PowersApril 10, 2018

The vacation rental home marketing giant Airbnb announced Tuesday it has signed a tax agreement with Charlotte County, giving the company tax pacts in 40 Florida counties. The new agreement, effective May 1, will have Airbnb collecting and remitting bed taxes in Charlotte for its client vacation rental home owners. The agreement gives Airbnb tourist […]

Peter SchorschMarch 28, 2018

States that embrace short-term rentals and other segments of the burgeoning “sharing economy” tend to be better innovation incubators than states that don’t, according to new research from a consumer electronics trade group. The Consumer Technology Association, the trade group that puts on the annual International Consumer Electronics Show, included a category on state policies […]

Danny McAuliffeMarch 27, 2018

Philip Levine, former mayor of Miami Beach, holds the ideology that local governments should be in charge. And if he’s elected to the statewide office of Governor, he said those beliefs won’t change. Tailing off a suggested early lead in the four-way Democratic gubernatorial primary, Levine spoke Tuesday to Tallahassee’s Tiger Bay Club, a group […]

Staff ReportsMarch 12, 2018

After the Legislature passed an $88.7 billion budget Sunday, Florida Realtors are heaping praise on lawmakers for including $31 million in cuts to the business rent tax and $110 million for affordable housing projects. “I’m so proud of our membership for responding to our call for action to cut the business rent tax,” said Bill Martin, […]

Scott PowersFebruary 22, 2018

The vacation rentals deregulation bill cleared its first stop in the Florida House of Representatives Thursday with a close approval won in the House Government Accountability Committee. House Bill 773, sponsored by St. Cloud Republican state Rep. Mike La Rosa, now heads toward the commerce committee in this year’s legislative efforts to roll back and […]

Scott PowersFebruary 12, 2018

Orlando city officials took one of the biggest steps of any Florida city in recent years to ease laws that restrict vacation rentals, approving an ordinance Monday to allow owner-occupied rentals in single-family residential zones. The move, approved 6-1, takes effect July 1, ending what has effectively been a 26-year ban on vacation rental homes […]

Drew WilsonFebruary 12, 2018

Vacation rental business Airbnb collected and remitted $45.7 million in tax revenue for Florida and local governments across the Sunshine State last year, more than double what it collected in 2016. “In 2015, Airbnb collaborated with the Florida Department of Revenue on a historic agreement allowing the company to collect and remit the state sales […]

Tag: Airbnb

Airbnb, Puerto Rico, announce partnership initiatives to foster tourism

League of Cities gives Airbnb a dose of snark

Airbnb as retirement supplement? Company says 45 percent of hosts are seniors

Airbnb announces 40th county tax agreement in Charlotte

Florida short-term rental policies hurt innovation, trade group says

Philip Levine: Minimum wage, vacation rentals should be local decisions

Florida Realtors laud lawmakers for cutting business rent tax

House vacation rentals bill clears Government Accountability Committee

Orlando City Council votes to allow home sharing vacation rentals

Airbnb collected $45M in Florida tax revenue in 2017