... telling me who I can or can not have over to stay.
They aren't telling you who you can or can not have over, they are prohibiting you from having temporary guests that pay.
Why? Well, an establishment that houses temporary guests traditionally has to answer to health & safety codes and regulations. Under-the-radar AirBnB rentals circumvent that system.
You'd probably get similar kickback if you tried running an informal restaurant out of your home. "Who is the government to tell me who I can and can not serve food!" Well, restaurant health codes, that's who.
I received an email with my airbnb listing and couchsurfing listing attached saying I can't keep either online otherwise I'll get a fine.
It wasn't my main source of income, and I'm not running a business. In fact, I'd rather not have someone on my couch every day, I like my space. I'm saying it should be my choice to have a kid from Massachusetts, a student from Spain, or a grandmother from South Carolina, or my family stay.
Guest stays free = okay.
Guest pays you = not okay.
The average person can understand that. In fact, most people do. The "benefits" of AirBNB are usually lost on the average person, who cannot understand why someone would rent out their house directly to total strangers.
In High Point, NC they have a bi-yearly furniture market that nearly everyone in town rents their house for two weeks. This has been going on for decades and gave most of the people who did it an extra few thousand a year. It's not as radical as it seems even in non vacation areas.
Vacation spots usually have permissive laws regarding vacation rentals to encourage property owners to rent out their properties during the times of the year they are not using their property. (For example, contrast the permissive rules of Dana Point and Myrtle Beach with the prospective rules of Pasadena and Boston.)
Different considerations apply in communities which are not vacation spots.
They aren't telling you who you can or can not have over, they are prohibiting you from having temporary guests that pay.
Why? Well, an establishment that houses temporary guests traditionally has to answer to health & safety codes and regulations. Under-the-radar AirBnB rentals circumvent that system.
You'd probably get similar kickback if you tried running an informal restaurant out of your home. "Who is the government to tell me who I can and can not serve food!" Well, restaurant health codes, that's who.