Push to block cities on Airbnb rules lives to fight another day

The bill may come back again before the legislative session draws to a close. It would limit the regulations cities and counties can place on short-term online home rentals.

After some negotiations, the bill was back before the same committee Monday afternoon. Instead of nullifying local ordinances on short-term and vacation rentals, Senate Bill 118 would allow local governments to enforce rules in place as of June 30 of this year.

But they couldn't pass new rules or tweak their current ones until after December 2020. In the mean time, the state would study the growing world of online rentals, which allow people to rent out their homes to traveling strangers.

Arp pitched this Monday as a compromise from last week's more restrictive bill, but lobbyists for local governments remained against it. Based on committee debate Monday, it seemed likely that Arp faced a close vote, at best.

Arp pulled the measure and left the committee quickly. He said later that he hopes to bring the bill back. House Rules Chairman David Lewis, who has taken an interest in the bill, said he doesn't expect it to re-emerge in his committee Tuesday, as some suggested it might Monday evening.

But that is not the same, said Lewis, R-Harnett, as the issue going away for the rest of the session, and the bill was reassigned late Monday from State and Local Government to Rules.

Airbnb and other online rental firms have fought for restrictions like these in a number of states as local governments seek to regulate a growing industry. Airbnb hosts in the Triangle earned $18 million last year off 143,000 guests, according to the company.