Ald. Quinn Looks to Extend Ban of Airbnb in 13^th Ward

Chicago Alderman Marty Quinn of the 13th Ward today (Wednesday Dec. 4, 2019) requested the Chicago City Council’s Committee on License and Consumer Protection ban Airbnb and other home-sharing services from the 25^th and 36^th precincts of the 13^th ward, bringing the total number to 40 out 48 precincts banning the company from operating in his ward. The committee voted to approve the opt-out ordinance in a unanimous voice vote.

“My constituents continue to voice their concerns with home-sharing services and the problems with Airbnb operating in the ward,” Ald. Quinn said. “The 13^th ward mainly consists of single-family homes, children, seniors and residents who don’t want to put up with the quality of life issues that come with home-sharing services.”

13th Ward Democratic Committeeman Michael J. Madigan and 13th Ward And. Marty Quinn. Photo courtesy of Madigan-Quinn website

In order to ban home-sharing services from a given ward, the process begins at the precinct level. A resident from the precinct must file a petition with the city clerk’s office asking to opt-out of home-sharing services. The petition requires signatures from 25 percent of all registered voters in the precinct within 90 days for the precinct to officially opt-out.

Recent media accounts have detailed a variety of complaints against Airbnb, including a deadly shooting at an Airbnb in California and tales of a nationwide scam of fake Airbnb hosts.

Quinn first banned Airbnb from four precincts in the 13^th ward in June 2017 after several instances of objectionable behavior by rental guests in the neighborhood. To date, 8,392 residents of the 13^th ward have signed the petition to ban temporary room and housing rentals. Quinn’s goal is to ban home-sharing services from all 48 precincts in the ward.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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