Vacation Rental Owners Face Stiff Headwinds Around Oregon
On July 21, 2025, the Sarasota City Commission unanimously adopted Ordinance 25-5560, amending Chapter 34.5 of the City Code governing vacation rentals (the Vacation Rental Ordinance). The new ordinance builds on the City of...more
In a case of significant interest to the legal community and especially to Nantucket property owners, the Land Court recently issued its long-awaited decision in Ward v. Town of Nantucket (pdf) (Ward II), concerning the...more
In May the FTC’s Rule on Deceptive or Unfair Fees (the Rule) went into effect, and the FTC staff published accompanying FAQs for business. We have blogged a lot about the proposed Rule, enforcement in this space and its windy...more
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission announced its final “Junk Fees Rule” (the “Rule”) that bans “mystery” or “junk fees” for live event tickets, hotels, and short-term rentals....more
Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a final rule—dubbed the Junk Fees Rule—to address what it views as deceptive pricing practices that cause harm to consumers and that undercut other honest...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finalized its long-anticipated Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (Final Rule), targeting hidden mandatory fees and ensuring transparent pricing disclosures to consumers. Unlike the Notice...more
Warnings of an impending regulatory focus on hidden and junk fees materialized following President Joe Biden’s call to Congress during his 2023 State of the Union address to eliminate them. On December 17, the Federal Trade...more
On December 17, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized its Trade Regulation Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (16 CFR § 464), otherwise known as the "Junk Fees" Rule, targeting specific industries with a narrowed...more
On December 17, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a new rule requiring “timely, transparent, and truthful” upfront disclosures of pricing information to consumers of: Live-event tickets, which is not defined...more
Never say never, but we are fairly confident that the newly announced Junk Fee Rule (Rule) will be the final final rule issued while Chair Khan is at the helm of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). ...more
Today, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the release of its final Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, also known as the “Junk Fee Rule”, which aims to address so-called bait-and-switch pricing tactics and other...more
This week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued its long-awaited Final Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees. When the FTC released the proposed rule over a year ago, the rule covered any business that offered goods or...more
No organization can eliminate data breach risks altogether, regardless of industry, size, or even if the organization has taken significant steps to safeguard their systems and train employees to avoid phishing attacks....more
Sanner v. Airbnb Inc., 2024 WL 1356693 (M.D. Pa. Mar. 29, 2024) - The plaintiff and a group of her friends stayed the weekend at a home rental they booked using the home-sharing app, Airbnb. Upon their arrival, the ground of...more
In 2014, long before the pandemic spurred the proliferation of short-term residential home rentals like those offered through Airbnb and other services, the Washington Supreme Court in Wilkinson v. Chiwawa Community...more
In his new Ear to the Ground blog post, the first in a three-part series, real estate attorney David Petersen discusses challenges facing the vacation rentals industry in Oregon. This first post focuses on who truly makes...more
The North Carolina Court of Appeals waded into territory that has become increasingly challenging for developers and homeowners' associations (HOAs) to navigate: the regulation of short-term rentals....more
This is the last of my three-part series on common misperceptions about the vacation rental industry in Oregon. In my first post, I explained why vacation rentals are important drivers of local economies. In my second, I...more
The vacation rental industry claims over two million properties throughout the United States. According to the Miliken Institute, California had 128,000 short-term vacation rental listings in 2022. The Big Bear region in...more
This is part two of my three-part series on common misperceptions about the vacation rental industry in Oregon. Last week, I explained why vacation rentals are important drivers of local economies. This week, I take on the...more
Over the past few years, my colleagues and I have been waging numerous battles on behalf of the vacation rental industry around Oregon. We have achieved some successes, like in Clatsop County and the City of Manzanita, and...more
Guests of Lake of the Ozarks lodging establishments ranging from vacation rentals to resorts will have one less tax to pay thanks to a recent decision by the Missouri Supreme Court. The court found that statutes creating a...more
A new California law that enables people making hotel accommodations or short-term rentals to cancel their reservations without penalty under certain parameters becomes effective on July 1, 2024. California Senate Bill 644,...more
In many states, the tide appears to be turning against short-term rentals. With restrictions on short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and Vrbo, on the rise, businesses operating short-term rental properties are running out of...more
As you can see from our short list of stories below, it was a relatively quiet week in the online travel world. I hope you enjoy...more