Seattle approves tax on Airbnb, short-term rental operators

SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council has voted to tax operators of short-term rentals, such as those listed on Airbnb.

The Seattle Times reports that the Council voted on Monday to impose taxes of $14 per night for entire homes and $8 per night for rooms. The taxes begin in 2019.

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The tax ordinance states that the proceeds will be used to support community-initiated development projects and to create affordable housing.

The council was also scheduled to vote on regulations for the short-term rental industry, but that topic was instead referred to the land-use committee for additional discussion.

One idea that's been proposed for regulating the industry is to cap the number of short-term rentals operated by a single person or company at two.

Associated Press