The new disruptive economy -- Airbnb, Uber -- it’s causing disagreements in the General Assembly. And the debate doesn’t fall along party lines.
Republicans in the Senate are divided over how to regulate the explosion of short term rental housing in Virginia. One of the more contentious points is how to handle violators. Like, for example, all those Airbnb hosts in Richmond that operate in spite of the fact it’s illegal under city code. Republican Leader Tommy Norment says one possibility is to hit them with a $10,000 fine.
“I think if they’re not complying with the law, then they ought to be punished.”
“Is $10,000 appropriate?”
“That sounds like a good starting number.”
But Republican Senator Jill Vogel says Airbnb and Uber and a new wave of technology is changing the Virginia economy, and lawmakers need to keep up.
“Somebody is clearly trying to stake out a position as a starting point for sure. But I don’t think that has legs. And again, I think it’s the wrong position to take to do anything that would discourage that part of our economy.”
Senators are expected to take up the issue in committee later this week.
