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Ten Worst U.S. Cities for Short-Term Rentals, Airbnb — Including Denver

Matthew Van Deventer has been reporting about short-term rentals in Denver — and he's also closely following proposed changes in regulations for Airbnb and beyond in the Mile High City that could be put in place over the next few months. Critics believe that the regulatory tweaks would further limit...

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Matthew Van Deventer has been reporting about short-term rentals in Denver — and he's also closely following proposed changes in regulations for Airbnb and beyond in the Mile High City that could be put in place over the next few months.

Critics believe that the regulatory tweaks would further limit so-called STRs here.

We doubt the folks at R Street, a free-market think tank that's produced a report called "Roomscore 2016: Short-Term Rental Regulation in U.S. Cities, " would cheer such possible alterations.

After all, the analysis, on view below in its entirety, already lists Denver among the ten worst cities in the country for short-term rentals.

Here's the methodology used by R Street in its report:
1. Does the city have a tailored legal framework for short-term-rental regulation?

2. What, if any, legal restrictions are in place to curb short-term rentals?

3. What tax-collection obligations are placed on STR services?

4. How burdensome and expensive is the city’s licensing regime for short-term rentals?

5. How hostile is the city’s enforcement regime for short-term rentals, including restrictions that don’t fit neatly into the prior categories?
Tallies in these five areas have been combined into a letter-grade score. For instance, Colorado Springs wound up with a B, while Boulder earned a D+.

In addition, ten cities got an F — and Denver is one of them.

See the photo-illustrated list of the ten worst-performing cities, featuring R Street data. That's followed by the aforementioned report, which can also be accessed by clicking here.

Atlanta

FRAMEWORK: 0

RESTRICTIONS: -40

TAXATION: 0

LICENSING: 0

ENFORCEMENT: 0

TOTAL: 50

GRADE: F


Fort Worth

FRAMEWORK: 0

RESTRICTIONS: -30

TAXATION: 0

LICENSING: -2

ENFORCEMENT: 0

TOTAL: 58

GRADE: F


Fresno, Calif.

FRAMEWORK: 0

RESTRICTIONS: -35

TAXATION: 0

LICENSING: 0

ENFORCEMENT: -1

TOTAL: 54

GRADE: F


Jacksonville, Fla.

FRAMEWORK: 0

RESTRICTIONS: -35

TAXATION: 0

LICENSING: 0

ENFORCEMENT: 0

TOTAL: 55

GRADE: F


Kansas City, Mo.

FRAMEWORK: 0

RESTRICTIONS: -35

TAXATION: 0

LICENSING: 0

ENFORCEMENT: 0

TOTAL: 55

GRADE: F

Continue to keep counting down the ten worst cities for short-term rentals and Airbnb.

Los Angeles

FRAMEWORK: 0

RESTRICTIONS: -35

TAXATION: 0

LICENSING: 0

ENFORCEMENT: 0

TOTAL: 55

GRADE: F


New Orleans

FRAMEWORK: 0

RESTRICTIONS: -35

TAXATION: 0

LICENSING: 0

ENFORCEMENT: 0

TOTAL: 55

GRADE: F


Oklahoma City

FRAMEWORK: 0

RESTRICTIONS: -40

TAXATION: 0

LICENSING: 0

ENFORCEMENT: 0

TOTAL: 50

GRADE: F


Santa Barbara, Calif.

FRAMEWORK: 0

RESTRICTIONS: -35

TAXATION: 0

LICENSING: 0

ENFORCEMENT: 0
 
TOTAL: 55

GRADE: F


Denver

FRAMEWORK: 0

RESTRICTIONS: -40

TAXATION: 0

LICENSING: 0

ENFORCEMENT: 0

TOTAL: 50

GRADE: F


ROOMSCORE 2016: SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATION IN U.S. CITIES