Hilton Head votes to join class action suit against Airbnb, VRBO. What we know
Airbnb and VRBO renters on Hilton Head Island need to pay their share.
That’s what town leaders, who voted Tuesday night to join a class action lawsuit against the short term rental companies, say makes renting on the island unfair.
The suit will argue that the platforms should assess accommodations taxes like hotels do. Those taxes paid by visitors help boost tourism development.
The vote came after the council discussed the potential litigation in executive session. The suit is being managed by Jesse Kirchner, a Charleston-based lawyer, and comes on the heels of a 2018 settlement in a similar case brought against Expedia, Travelocity and Priceline by eight South Carolina cities and counties.
Taking Airbnb and VRBO to court over accommodations taxes is a powerful move for coastal municipalities because the suit will argue that short-term rental owners need to add accommodations taxes when calculating the price for renters like hotels and other rentals do.
Read more: https://www.islandpacket.com/news/politics-government/article250498709.html
(Bluffton Island Packet)
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