Massive companies like Airbnb are trying to evade rental requirements put in place by local towns like Mammoth, while local companies like Nomadness Rentals^[5] advocate for renter rights.

LOS ANGELES – June 10, 2016 – As vacation rental giants like Airbnb^[6] continue to grow in size, they begin to wreak havoc on local rental companies that have dedicated a lifetime’s worth of hard work to being honest, loyal, and cooperative with the towns and areas they represent. Airbnb’s latest controversial move involves using scare tactics to trick small towns like Mammoth Lakes into allowing them to bypass town ordinances, regulations, and guidelines in order to conduct business.

Local, long-time companies like Nomadness Rentals must mandatorily abide by all town ordinances, and for good reason. These ordinances are present to ensure the security and well-being of guests and local residents, ensuring that all vacation rentals are properly equipped, meet all safety regulations, and are up to renting standards.

In May, Airbnb approached – and was subsequently denied by – the town of Mammoth Lakes with a proposition to offer short-term rentals in the area without meeting ordinance requirements such as paying TBIDs (Mammoth Lakes Tourism Business Improvement District fees), conducting inspections, or providing documentation in case an audit is required. For those unfamiliar with TBIDs, these are small fees that fund marketing and promotion efforts for local businesses. The element of waiving inspection requirements is self-explanatory – without Airbnb conducting inspections and reporting to the town, guests don’t receive the assurance they need that their rental is up to par.

Additionally, Airbnb’s format of being homeowner-operated means guests may not receive all the services they’d otherwise get with a rental management company like Nomadness Rentals. Where Nomadness Rentals offers 24-hour emergency line services, licensed/insured housekeepers, pre-approved repairmen, and professional/experienced customer service representatives, Airbnb offers a user-generated contract that does not pre-approve the services promised by those homeowners.