Salem Tightens Oversight Of Airbnb Properties

SALEM, MA -- Salem City Council passed new regulations for inspecting rental properties in the city. In addition to calling for inspections every time a new tenant takes lease of an apartment, the new rules call for people who make their property available for short-term rentals submit to annual inspections. Salem, like other communities, has been trying to adopt rules to regulate short-term rentals, which have grown in popularity with the rise of sites like Airbnb.

In a message to constituents on his Facebook page, Ward 5 Councilman Josh Turiel said the state is still working on how to regulate and tax properties that are rented on sites like Airbnb.

"Our action is mainly intended to get a handle on how many we have, where they are, and making sure safety standards are being upheld," he said.

Currently, cities like Salem cannot collect taxes on short-term rentals. Under on proposal, the state would collect a 5% tax on such rentals and localities would be able to add a 1.5% local tax onto the 5%.

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).