Recently, the City of Quincy attempted to shut down a
client's ability to rent part of her home on Airbnb. We
defended the client in a hearing in July, and this week the court
ruled against the City and in favor of our client.
Many municipalities including Quincy have recently been
tightening their regulation of short-term property rentals through
services like Airbnb. On March 15, 2021, Quincy passed a zoning
ordinance imposing new registration and licensing requirements on
rentals for fewer than 31 days. The ordinance also banned all
short-term rentals in the Residence A zoning district where the
client's home is located.
The City initially wanted to leave the decision to the Quincy
Zoning Board of Appeals by having the client seek a variance
permitting the short-term rental use. But a variance was not the
appropriate process in this case, and worse, risked having the
client forfeit her already established property rights. The client
and her husband had been
