Philly Is Cracking Down and Delisting Unlicensed Short-Term Rentals

8/1/2023

Philadelphia is cracking down on unlicensed short-term rental (STR) operators who host on online platforms. On July 12, the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) announced that the city had directed online platforms to delist properties that lacked the licensing required in Philadelphia. The companies had five business days to comply. The city estimates that 85 percent of the properties reviewed by L&I are unlicensed, or between 1,500 and 1,700 rentals. For some STR operators, the crackdown is shortsighted. “I feel that they are not looking at the big picture,” said Steven Patterson, whose company Ur Home caters to families in town for extended stays while their loved ones are in Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “They’re going to have to go back to hotels, where it’s so expensive. How are they going to cook? How are they going to do laundry?”

Philadelphia Inquirer (07/24/23) Jake Blumgart

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