Short-term rentals could be gone in Puerto Rico

Booking an Airbnb in Puerto Rico could soon be a thing of the past. 

Pending legislation on the island would make it so that short-term rentals in the residential areas would only be allowed to use 30% of the property. This is a move that Airbnb is calling a “defacto prohibition.”

The bill, which was initially introduced in November, would require hosts using more than 30% of their space for rentals to apply for a permit and change their use from residential to commercial. 

The hope is to stave off house parties, increased rent, and affordable housing shortages. Carlos Muños, Airbnb’s director of public policy and communications for Central America, countered that, “Thousands of properties in Puerto Rico could be deleted or eliminated, which provide this service, which welcome millions of visitors to Puerto Rico, who have been part of the success of Puerto Rican tourism.”

The bill has still not been moved through the House, so there is no date for when (or if) this change could go into effect.