đ Cracking down on short-term Airbnbs | Morning Newsletter
And David Oh relies on his base.
The Morning Newsletter
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Weâre in for another partly sunny day with a high of 67.
We have a lot of news to get through today.
First up, weâre starting to see the impacts of city regulations that went into effect for Airbnb and other short-term rentals earlier this year. The result is a shrinking industry in Philly.
Our lead story breaks down the numbers.
â Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Tap into the Airbnb app locally, and there will likely be less to choose from than a few months ago.
Phillyâs efforts to regulate the short-term rental industry have led to the number of available offerings on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO to dwindle.
Deckard Technologies tracks the industry nationally and found that roughly 1,000 hosts in Philadelphia switched from short to long-term rentals at the beginning of the year when new city regulations went into effect. Hundreds more followed suit after the city began to seriously enforce the new rules in July.
According to Philadelphiaâs Department of Licenses and Inspections, 1,850 hosts have been delisted from platforms like Airbnb and VRBO after the crackdown on unlicensed operators began in July.
What did the new laws do? They reinforced a long-standing but not well-enforced regulation requiring a hotel license for properties operating short-term rentals where the owners donât reside.
Continue reading for the broader context on cities across the country becoming stricter on the industry.
While on a stage at an event talking to supporters, Philly GOP mayoral candidate David Oh rattled off a list of the ethnic and racial groups represented in his coalition. He made sure to do this twice.
In his own words: âUkrainians, Georgians, Belarussians,â Oh, 63, said. âIranians, Vietnamese, Chinese, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Filipino, Dominican, Italian American, African American, Caribbean.â
As a Republican in a heavily Democratic city, he won three City Council elections by patching together a diverse coalition of groups not usually involved with city politics, from Ukrainian Americans to âthe DHS moms,â his name for mothers whose children are in the custody of Department of Human Services.
Reminder: His method worked for his reelection campaign in 2019 while his GOP colleagues fell short against the Working Families Partyâs historic attempt to take two Council seats set aside for non-Democrats. Oh scored votes from across the city while other Republicans got their votes almost exclusively from conservative areas in the far Northeast and South Philly.
Heâs hoping to use his diverse base of supporters to make this the first competitive general election for mayor in 20 years.
What you should know today
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro joined more than 1,000 people at a rally outside Philadelphia Monday night in support of Israel.
SEPTAâs transit police union voted to authorize a strike against the agency after six months of negotiations with no progress toward a new contract.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his independent run for president in Philadelphia Monday.
Delaware County Democrats want voters to oust three Republican judges from the county Court of Common Pleas in November. Insiders say this represents a bold shift in local politics.
President Joe Biden is set to visit Philadelphia on Friday to tout his âBidenomicsâ agenda.
The Philadelphia School District moved 50 teachers weeks into the school year because of âleveling.â Itâs the practice of reassigning teachers based on enrollment.
Sting will join the Philadelphia Orchestra for two shows in March.
Get an inside look at the growing business â and high price tag â of clear ice cubes.
Thanks to ABCâs The Golden Bachelor, the topic of older Americans hooking up is popping up in everyday discussion.
You might not like the idea of grandma going out on the town, but she probably is.
Notable quote: âSeeing older people on TV demonstrating interest in others, along with sexual desire, shows that we donât change much as we age,â said Ilene Warner-Maron, a professor in the department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. âIf you want to ride a bike and you still can, who says youâre too old? In life, thereâs no such thing as a dirty old man or woman.â
A few ladies spoke to us about what the dating world is like for the over-65 crowd.
đ§ Trivia time đ§
President Joe Bidenâs visit to Philly on Friday comes less than six weeks since the last time he was here.
After Friday, how many times will he have visited the city this year?
A) 10
B) 8
C) 5
D) 4
Think you know? Check your answer.
What weâre...
â Sharing: How to go straight to the CEO when customer service doesnât work.
đWondering: Why the Atlanta Bravesâ mascot, Blooper, thought it could come for the Phanatic.
𧩠Unscramble the anagram đ§©
Hint: Major road đ
ARBOR DETEST
Weâll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Susan Becker, who correctly guessed Mondayâs answer: Styer Orchard. Email us if you know the answer.
Photo of the day
Iâll catch you tomorrow!