Airbnb has descended on America's small cities. Now locals must decide how to contain it.

Mon, 04/24/2023 - 06:15

Short-term rentals, such as the accommodations available on Airbnb and Vrbo, are at the center of nationwide debates over how to regulate them.

Jeff R Clow/Getty, Stephen Swintek/Getty, Airbnb, Tyler Le/Insider

Bozeman, Montana, is a locus of the debate over short-term rentals that's erupting across the US.
Some residents blame them for rising housing costs, and others say they're essential to the economy.
From Atlanta to Aspen, US cities are weighing the pros and cons to determine future legislation.

On a chilly Sunday evening in February, 300 residents of Bozeman, Montana, gathered at a local church to discuss an issue splitting the town of 54,000: a ban on whole-home short-term rentals.