Monroe County has signed an agreement with Airbnb, that will allow the company to collect an occupancy tax on behalf of people who rent their homes and rooms and then provide the revenue to the county.
Effective Thursday, Airbnb will automatically collect a 6 percent tax on any Airbnb stay in Monroe County for reservations 29 nights and shorter.
Officials say this will make the process seamless for hosts and provide additional revenue for the county.
Airbnb, an online marketplace and hospitality service, already partners with more than 275 governments throughout the world to collect and distribute taxes including 18 counties in New York. That includes Livingston, Seneca, Wyoming, and now, Monroe.
Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo says the collection of the tax, "puts Airbnb in parity with our existing brick-and-mortar hotel and motel lodgings, while still providing the convenience and choice offered by home sharing through Airbnb." She says revenue generated by the occupancy tax will be invested in regional quality-of-life assets that support local jobs and the economy.
Airbnb also supports legislation currently under consideration in the NYS legislature that would authorize the collection of sales and lodging taxes across the state. That legislation would also provide a 24/7 hotline for concerned neighbors and require that hosts carry a minimum of $250,000 in insurance.
