People who rent out their Alexandria homes or spare rooms on Airbnb will have to start charging hotel occupancy taxes on April 1, after the city and the home-sharing company reached the first agreement in Virginia to collect taxes. It’s the first agreement between a local government and Airbnb in Virginia. In the District, where home-sharing companies are sometimes accused of accelerating gentrification, Airbnb said it has sent the city nearly $28 million since February 2015. Only 23 people, including 18 who use Airbnb, have signed up with the city under a new local law that requires registration for anyone doing short-term rentals. While Airbnb is collecting and remitting the taxes on behalf of its hosts, the city reminded residents that people who use home-sharing operators other than Airbnb are responsible for paying the taxes to the city and state.

Source: Washington Post March 26, 2018 16:41 UTC