So, do you think the board of health should no longer inspect restaurants?

(So, are you avoiding backing up your statement?)

I never said that or implied that.

We are talking about places to stay, not restaurants(food). Don't change the topic.

They're actually so similar that they're regulated under the same branch of law called "hospitality law."

Since this law doesn't apply to my apartment and everybody's apartment, are we living in unsafe conditions?

If someone were to visit and stay in your apartment for a few days, then somehow it becomes unsafe?

There are a bunch of laws regarding how your landlord can act, in fact, and they're extremely restrictive on the landlord.

Stop with the black/white nonsense, everybody in this whole thread agrees that it shouldn't be a big deal to sublet for a couple months or have a house guest. That's qualitatively different from running an unlicensed hotel.

"everybody in this whole thread agrees.." I didn't get that memo and I am unanimous in that.

I was never arguing what to call 'short term rentals' or whatever you want to call it. I am questioning why it's unsafe and why the FUD (in the article) and where is the proof.

If you have lots of friends and you let them visit often, does your apartment become unsafe? Or is it really when you start charging them money that it becomes unsafe? (I am NOT referring to trying to cram all your friends into your apartment and having a wild party. I mean 1-4 friends visiting at a time.)

So let them require BnB's to be registered and inspected. If I start a single-room restaurant, where people can join me at the dinner table each night (and yes, those exist: a few have been popping up in some European countries lately), it wouldn't be outlawed either, would it? I'm sure hardly any owner would mind paying $100 a year and allow random inspections (which usually means they'd get inspected once every two years or so...).

That's a fine idea, but it's hardly "less government".

Such an idea probably won't happen because of the aformentioned hotel lobbyists, though.