What is the proper amount of short term rentals in a city?
Should a particular building be used for housing or rentals?
I know I don't know the exact answer, but the reality is that politicians don't either. These questions are better solved by pricing, the mechanism that actually directs resources to their most valued ends rather than political edict (which as we all know is influenced heavily by whoever is able to grease the most politicians).
Politicians can't react accurately and quickly to rapidly changing supply and demand. The market has an actual signal that does this rapidly and provides incentive to do so.
Anything that disrupts this is just another example of corrupt government benefiting their contributors to the detriment of real prosperity.
Agree 100%. I think that the city of New York has no business putting limitations on how a property (that you own) can be used and leased. If you have a community/association that's making those rules, fine... that's fair. It's fair because you agree to their terms prior to purchasing the property. If you rent a property and the lease explicitly disallows subletting, fine. That's fair too. Rules and laws should be granular, specific to their locality, rather than vast sweeping blankets.
I'm also in favor of zoning for residential and business, that makes sense. But there's a big difference between someone operating a high foot-traffic business out of their home, and seeing an occasional stranger walk into a residence every other day or so.
If there are no specific rules that a localized community has agreed on, then Airbnb should be fair game. Why should the municipal government make the rules?
Should a particular building be used for housing or rentals?
I know I don't know the exact answer, but the reality is that politicians don't either. These questions are better solved by pricing, the mechanism that actually directs resources to their most valued ends rather than political edict (which as we all know is influenced heavily by whoever is able to grease the most politicians).
Politicians can't react accurately and quickly to rapidly changing supply and demand. The market has an actual signal that does this rapidly and provides incentive to do so.
Anything that disrupts this is just another example of corrupt government benefiting their contributors to the detriment of real prosperity.