Pittsburgh places Airbnb legislation on hold in wake of deadly North Side shooting

Pittsburgh City Council did not act Wednesday on proposed legislation to regulate Airbnb and other short-term rental properties, opting to slow down the process so it can look at possible changes to the proposal and seek public comment.

Legislation introduced Tuesday was expedited to appear on the agenda for Wednesday’s council meeting. Council introduced the proposal after a shooting at an Airbnb in the city’s North Side early Sunday left two teenage boys dead and nine other people wounded. Five others were injured trying to flee.

The legislation would require people operating an Airbnb or similar short-term rental to get a license from the city’s Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections. The property owners would be required to provide the city with contact information where officials could reach them in the event of problems and also to keep a list of guests who enter the properties, along with their contact information.

Council members said there have been a number of issues with Airbnb rentals over the years.

“We get calls very regularly,” said Bob Charland, chief of staff for Councilman Bruce Kraus. “Sometimes it’s for parties. More often than not, it’s for trash, parking issues, things like that.”

While Airbnb says it bans parties and touted a 24-hour safety team and Neighborhood Support Line, Charland said getting in touch with the company is nearly impossible. There is no designated Airbnb liaison to communicate with city officials when problems arise at the rental properties and getting in touch with property owners — some of whom live out of state or are hidden behind LLCs — is often complicated, he said.

Kraus questioned whether the legislation could be strengthened to include a requirement that Airbnb sites in the city be restricted to primary residences. That, he said, was the “spirit of Airbnb,” but now, many of the locations are commercial investments with absentee landlords.

A similar measure is already in effect in Philadelphia, Kraus said.

Council members said they would investigate whether Pittsburgh has the authority to include that limitation in the final legislation.

Councilman Bobby Wilson, a co-sponsor of the measure who represents the area where the recent shooting took place, said he also is considering a way to mark Airbnb sites in some way. He suggested a sticker on the window with a QR code that would provide contact information for the property owners so that, in the event of an emergency or problem, authorities would quickly be able to contact the appropriate people.

Wilson said he’d also like to hear input from members of the community. He called for a public hearing on the issue before a final vote is taken.

Council President Theresa Kail-Smith, the bill’s primary sponsor, said she would like to consider adding incentives for local people who are responsibly handling short-term rentals. She suggested bringing those individuals into conversations about the legislation for additional input.

“We do know there are good owners and there are some people who operate well,” she said.

Andre Del Valle, senior director of government affairs for the Pennsylvania Apartment Association, said the group is supportive of the concept, but wanted to have further conversations with officials before the measure is passed. He said the group is eager to work with council members to ensure people are safe in short-term rental units.

“I want to encourage the concept of some kind of control of how these things are rented out, because this is absolutely unacceptable,” said Tim Stevens, CEO of the Black Political Empowerment Project. “This violence, it’s out of hand.”

The bill will be held from being acted on for at least three weeks.