Property Rights, Renting, and Airbnb

22 Mar 2016

Property rights advocates say the right to rent is being threatened at the local government level, as cities across the country push restrictions on exactly how and to whom Americans can lease out their lofts and living quarters.

Apparently, government doesn’t know its proper role, as people’s property rights are under attack across the country. The only way to stop the erosion of liberty, is to stop electing control freaks. You own the house. You should have a right to do with your rooms as you wish without interference from government; or your neighbors.

But Council Member Burkley Allen, sponsor of the measure, told Fox News it was passed due to strong community engagement.

Strong community engagement is meaningless when the community infringes on the rights of their neighbors to be left alone. The role of government should be to protect the liberty of the individual from harassment from neighbors.

But what about the rights of the community to live in a “nice neighborhood?” The problem with this is that everyone’s definition of a nice neighborhood is different, and therefore, doesn’t trump their neighbor’s right to be left alone. This includes the ability of your neighbor to supplement their income by renting out a room.

In the past, it seems like it was quite common for people to rent out rooms to strangers. It’s a practice that fell out of popularity somewhere along the line, but seems to be regaining popularity. I think it’s a great way for people to supplement their income if they have the room, but no, we can’t have that.