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Detroit Quietly Bans Airbnb (curbed.com)
A new zoning ordinance that quietly went into effect this week has residents trying to figure out what comes next for Airbnb's presence in Detroit. Many hosts have received notices that the city has outlawed Airbnb for R1 and R2 zoning. Curbed Detroit reports: The new zoning ordinance apparently went through the Planning Commission and City Council in 2017, and went into effect this week. The text added to the amendment states: "Use of a dwelling to accommodate paid overnight guests is prohibited as a home occupation; notwithstanding this regulation, public accommodations, including bed and breakfast inns outside the R1 and R2 Districts, are permitted as provided in Sec. 61-12-46 of this Code." The vast majority of Airbnb units in Detroit are in R1 and R2 districts. These do not include places like lofts, apartments, or larger developments. Airbnb has issued a statement saying: "We're very disappointed by this turn of events. Airbnb has served as an economic engine for middle class Detroiters, many of whom rely on the supplemental income to stay in their homes. We hope that the city listens to our host community and permits home sharing in these residential zones."
You might be surprised to learn that lots of Detroit has been coming back strong since like 2010. Neighborhoods that were all but abandoned are showing signs of growth and there are lots of areas that are experiencing a full-scale renaissance.
Back in 2017, I visited there for 10 days to give some lectures and participate in a symposium and I got to see areas of the city where I never would have gone ten years ago. I was surprised at how nice it was and how optimistic many of the people who live there have become. There is a vibrant arts community and people really have a community feeling. Detroit will be back.
Because I love you all, here's a little something for you to groove to while you're pondering the Detroit Renaissance:
https://youtu.be/yotCw66_G1g
You are welcome on my lawn.
nobody in Detroit ever had the authority to dictate whether a private individual could rent out his home
Sure they did. They had that authority over their own homes, which they voluntarily ceded to the city whenever they gave it the ability to zone. Whether via its charter or subsequent legislation, that zoning authority would have come from the people themselves, and once you establish a city with the ability to zone, you necessarily also grant them the authority to restrict commercial activities in residential zones, which is exactly what they're doing here.
It's the same principle that allows HOAs and the like to establish deeds and covenants that restrict these sorts of practices. As a homeowner, you agree to abide by those deeds and covenants when you enter the neighborhood, thus ceding your authority in that area to the HOA. In my area, quite a few of the neighborhoods have restrictions on how many unrelated people are allowed to be under one roof, specifically to prevent the 70,000 college students we have in town from turning family-friendly neighborhoods into student housing.