Local councils in England must be given powers to regulate Airbnb and other short-term letting sites in order to alleviate the "intolerable" pressure they put on the availability of local housing, the Green party MP, Caroline Lucas, has said. Her intervention followed a Guardian investigation that found one Airbnb listing for every four residential properties in some hotspots across Britain. Airbnb has disputed the finding. Meanwhile, an organisation representing landlords has warned that imminent tax changes will drive an increasing number of landlords towards Airbnb and its rivals, depriving renters of long-term, stable tenancies. Last month Lucas asked the government to make it easier for councils to impose a 90-day cap on homes let out on Airbnb and other online platforms.

It is the first type of regulation of Airbnb for New York City, where an estimated 40,000 hosts list their homes, apartments and spare rooms. Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, a Democrat who sponsored the bill along with 43 other colleagues, said it would give the city the ability to enforce laws that root out "bad actors" who own multiple units that could be used for affordable housing. The measure is designed to help the city recognize who might be warehousing residences. Currently, the only tool they have for enforcement is responding to complaints. Airbnb could face a fine of up to $1,500 for each listing that isn't disclosed to the city, officials said.

Massachusetts Lodging Association President Paul Sacco dismissed Airbnb's criticism, saying it has "nothing to do with protecting middle class home sharing and everything to do with protecting the wealthy investor class hosts who have made it a big business to buy up scarce housing and convert it to illegal, unregulated and untaxed hotels at the expense of local residents and neighbors."

Savannah's regulations include, among other things, only allowing the rentals in certain parts of the city and ensuring that no more than 20 percent of the homes in areas such as the historic district are available for rent at a time.