ADCO Calls for AirBnB Measures that Protect Neighborhoods

By Phil Orlandella

The North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association (NEWRA) is a member of the Alliance of Downtown Civic Organizations (ADCO) that was formed in 2014 to represent the interests of residents in matters of urban planning and protection of residential quality and to unify the collective voices of the neighborhood associations representing the area.

Neighborhoods affected by AirBnB and other shot-term rental platforms are all part of ADCO that want some requirements and measures included in the regulations including protecting Boston’s rental market, maintaining neighborhood liability, public safety, enforcement and accountability.

Protecting Boston’s rental market:

• Defend against artificial elevation of long-rental costs by short-term market.
• Prevent displacement of long-term tenants for short-term rentals.
• Avert the flight of families from downtown Boston neighborhoods.
• Maintain reasonable stock of affordable and workforce units.

Maintaining neighborhood livability:

• Manage effectivity extra trash from short-term rentals.
• Address long-term resident concerns regarding extra noise and disruptions.
• Protect “quiet enjoyment” of population that is invested in the community.
• Maintain our residential fabric of the neighborhoods.

Public safety:

• Maintain hotel building safety standards for fire detection and safety systems.
• Reassure personal safety of long-term tenants adjacent to short-term rentals.
• Require landlord disclosure too long-term tenants of shots-term rentals within building.

Enforcement and accountability:

• Maintain publicly available data on registration, operation and safety of long-term rentals.
• Assure regular inspections and compliance when violations are issued.
• Develop a feedback and grievance policy for neighborhoods with short-term rentals.
• Require the various online platforms to provide full and accurate address information ADCO is made up of the Bay Village Neighborhood Association, the Beacon Hill Civic Association, the Boston Chinatown Residents’ Association, the Downtown Boston Residents’ Association, the Fenway Civic Association, the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, the North End/Waterfront Residents’ Association, the South End Forum and the West End Civic Association.