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San Francisco reaches settlement with Airbnb and HomeAway to enforce short‑term rental rules; platforms to pass registration data to city
Summary
City Attorney Dennis Herrera announced a settlement ending litigation with Airbnb and HomeAway: platforms will support a pass‑through registration system, supply monthly listing data to the city, and deactivate listings that lack valid registration numbers; full registration is expected within a 240‑day phase‑in.
San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera told the Police Commission that the city has reached a settlement with Airbnb and HomeAway that resolves a federal lawsuit challenging the city’s short‑term rental ordinance. Herrera summarized the city’s regulatory goals — limiting listings to registered, primary‑resident hosts and preventing evictions and the conversion of housing to de‑facto hotels — and said the settlement both dismisses the legal challenge and establishes a viable compliance mechanism.
Under the terms as explained to the commission, Airbnb and HomeAway will implement a pass‑through registration process so hosts can submit registration information to the city via the platforms; listings on those platforms will require a city registration number or a pending‑application status; platforms will provide the Office of Short Term Rentals (OSTR) with monthly datasets of San Francisco listings to allow verification; and the platforms agreed to deactivate listings and cancel future stays after notice of invalid registration. Herrera said the technical integration will take about 120 days, with a phase‑in that ensures all existing hosts are registered by 240 days.
Herrera said the platforms will be financially responsible for building the pass‑through technology. He described the settlement as a major enforcement step and said the U.S. District Court will retain jurisdiction to resolve disputes during implementation. Members of the Share Better coalition, former Supervisor David Campos, Supervisor Aaron Peskin and Board President London Breed spoke in support, calling the agreement precedent‑setting and protective of neighborhood housing stock.
Reporters asked about platform liability; city officials said the ordinance provides for penalties (including civil fines up to $1,000 per unregistered listing) and potential criminal penalties, and that platforms risk liability if they fail to provide required information or cooperate with city enforcement. City staff said OSTR will require additional staffing and enforcement resources to carry out the new compliance regime.
