Latest news with #Airbnb
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The Goldilocks Lease–Real Estate Investors Find Profitable Work-Around To Increase Returns Despite Airbnb Bans
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Airbnb (NASDAQ: ABNB) gave birth to a cottage industry of short-term rentals worldwide, and astute real estate investors dove in with both hands. High profits motivated property owners to become short-term rental specialists. Many local governments responded with short-term rental bans, but landlords have devised a new workaround: the mid-term lease. These goldilocks leases are now generating better returns than short-term rentals while simultaneously complying with local regulations. This trend, which is a winner for real estate investors, but still has the potential to leave traditional renters out in the cold, was recently profiled in Business Insider. Property owner Zeona McIntyre discovered the potential of mid-term leases during the COVID pandemic. When the pandemic set in, the chaos caused by stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions led to her losing nearly all her Airbnb bookings. Don't Miss: GoSun's breakthrough rooftop EV charger already has 2,000+ units reserved — become an investor in this $41.3M clean energy brand today. Invest early in CancerVax's breakthrough tech aiming to disrupt a $231B market. Back a bold new approach to cancer treatment with high-growth potential. 'I was really open to doing whatever I needed to get my properties rented,' she told Business Insider. McIntyre found success on a website called Furnish Finder. The platform focused on offering leases longer than 30 days but less than one year to working professionals. It turned out to be the happy medium between Airbnb and being a traditional long-term landlord. 'I realized there are tons of people looking all the time for longer stays, and longer stays are kind of awesome because people don't need as much from you. They're OK to go buy their own toilet paper and change the batteries because they're living there,' she said. It was a classic case of necessity being the mother of invention, and the mid-term rental business was so good to McIntyre that she converted all of her income properties to the new format. 'My bread-and-butter is these mid-term rentals,' said McIntyre. 'I want a longer tenant in there, and I don't want to have to think about it for three months.' Business Insider says she is not alone in discovering the potential advantages of mid-term rentals. Other landlords are beginning to realize that taking this middle-of-the-road approach offers a host of potential advantages. Trending: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, with minimum investments as low as $100. The flexibility aspect of mid-term leases and the fact that tenants tended to be working professionals make life easier for both the landlord and the neighbors of the rental unit. Working professionals are much less likely to throw the kinds of loud parties that renters on a two or three-week holiday might throw. On top of that, mid-term landlords are discovering that they have a lot more leeway to operate without government oversight. According to Business Insider, many short-term rental bans or registration requirements apply to properties offering stays of less than 30 days. Short-term rental registration also often included high fees and tax surcharges. Other cities and local governments limited the number of short-term rentals that could exist in a given area. In most cases, mid-term leases are not subject to these kinds of restrictions. That's why McIntyre told Business Insider she believes that mid-term rentals are the "sweet spot of real estate investing." She went so far as to say she considers them to be 'a whole different vibe from short-term rentals, and way less stressful.' Many short-term rental landlords can attest to the high levels of detail and stress that go hand in hand with the high rents. When you factor that in with the reduced regulatory picture, McIntyre's point becomes even clearer. 'Short-term rentals have been under scrutiny, and the ever-tightening regulations are constantly changing,' she said to Business Insider. 'But there is sort of this magic number that, as soon as a listing is over 30 days, these rentals get classified into a long-term rental bucket, and then you don't have the extra taxes or have to have a short-term rental permit." Keep this in mind if you're a landlord looking to boost your returns without going the short-term leasing route. See Next: $100k in assets? Maximize your retirement and cut down on taxes: Book your free call with a financial advisor to start your financial journey – no cost, no obligation. Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here's how you can earn passive income with just $100. This article The Goldilocks Lease–Real Estate Investors Find Profitable Work-Around To Increase Returns Despite Airbnb Bans originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
National Observer
8 hours ago
- Business
- National Observer
Trade talks between Canada and US end over digital tax, Trump says
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he did not speak Friday with Donald Trump before the U.S. president announced a sudden end to trade negotiations in response to Ottawa's plans to push ahead with a digital services tax at the end of the month. On his platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that he was "terminating all discussions on trade with Canada" because of the tax, set to apply this Monday to major American online companies such as Amazon, Google and Airbnb. Trump wrote Friday afternoon that Washington will notify Canada about new tariff rates required "to do business with the United States" within the next week. An hour later, Carney told reporters he had not spoken with Trump that day. "We'll continue to conduct these complex negotiations in the best interests of Canadians," the prime minister said. Trump called the proposed tax a "direct and blatant attack on our country." Carney has been negotiating in private with Trump and said earlier this month the two governments are pursuing a deal to end the president's stop-and-go tariff war. At the G7 summit in Alberta, Carney and Trump agreed to work on reaching a deal by mid-July. Prime Minister Mark Carney says he did not speak Friday with Donald Trump before the U.S. president announced a sudden end to trade negotiations in response to Ottawa's plans to push ahead with a digital services tax at the end of the month. The digital services tax is a three per cent levy on revenue from Canadian users of digital services such as Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb. It takes effect on June 30 but is retroactive for three years. The initial bill facing American companies is expected to be close to $2 billion. The United Kingdom kept a similar tax in a trade deal with the U.S. that was signed last week at the G7 summit in Alberta. Trump said similar measures by the European Union would be part of the broader trade talks the U.S. is having with the bloc. In the Oval Office, Trump said Canadians are great people but their government has unfair policies. "Canada has been a very difficult country to deal with over the years," he told reporters. Trump added that Ottawa has less leverage than Washington. "Economically we have such power over Canada. I'd rather not use it, but they did something with our tech companies," he said. "It's not gonna work out well for Canada. They were foolish to do it. And so I said we're going to stop all negotiations with Canada right now, until they straighten out their act." Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre did not weigh in on whether Canada should scrap the digital sales tax. Instead, he suggested Canada should cut its own domestic taxes and levies to unleash more economic growth. "Disappointed that trade talks have halted. Hopefully they resume quickly. As always, Conservatives are ready to help get a good deal for Canada. We must put Canada First," Poilievre wrote on the platform X. In a written statement, NDP trade critic Heather McPherson said Canada should invest in employment insurance and sustainable jobs to protect workers from Trump's whims. "Appeasement doesn't work. Betting on having a unique relationship with Trump doesn't work. Negotiations in secret doesn't work. Standing up for Canadian jobs and communities does," she wrote. In a post on the platform X, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet blamed Carney for Canada's failure to get the tariffs lifted and suggested he has been distracted by legislation to fast-track the approval of major projects like oil pipelines. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has urged Ottawa for months to scrap the tax, citing increased costs and the risk of U.S. retaliation. "Negotiations go through peaks and valleys. With deadlines approaching, some last-minute surprises should be expected," chamber head Candace Laing said in an email. "The tone and tenor of talks has improved in recent months, and we hope to see progress continue. We respect that Team Canada is conducting these negotiations at the table, and we need to give them the space to navigate.' The Canadian Press has asked the office of Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne for comment but has not yet received a response. The Business Council of Canada has called on Ottawa to suspend the tax. 'Canada should put forward an immediate proposal to eliminate the DST in exchange for an elimination of tariffs from the United States,' wrote the group's CEO Goldy Hyder, adding Trump's decision is the 'unfortunate development' the group had warned about. Earlier this month, 21 members of the U.S. Congress wrote to Trump saying the digital services tax could inspire other "discriminatory cash grabs" that largely target American companies. But on Thursday, congressional Republicans agreed to remove a so-called "revenge tax" provision from Trump's major tax cut bill, in response to a request from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. That provision would have allowed Washington to impose taxes on companies and investments from countries charging what it called "unfair foreign taxes" on American firms.
Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Emma Raducanu sent fearless message by teenage Brit opponent ahead of Wimbledon
Welsh teenager Mimi Xu will take on Emma Raducanu in the first round of Wimbledon, and the 17-year-old is relishing the prospect of facing one of her role models Four years after she burst into public consciousness as a teenage hopeful at Wimbledon, the grass-court shoe will be on the other foot on Monday for Emma Raducanu. One of the standout draws of the first round from a home perspective saw the former US Open champion paired with 17-year-old Mimi Xu, who is among a trio of talented teenage British girls aiming to make a name for themselves. Xu, along with 16-year-old duo Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic, has been rewarded for an impressive junior career and strong early strides in the women's game with a coveted wild card. The Welsh player, ranked 318, was left scrambling to try to find out who she had drawn, saying: 'It's quite funny because we're moving into the Airbnb this morning at five past 10 and I get a message from my coach, and he was like: 'What an exciting draw!' 'And then my mum's getting messages saying, 'That's so good, so exciting this and that', and not saying the name. And I haven't seen the draw. I'm like: 'Oh my gosh, what is the draw? Who am I playing?' 'And no one was replying afterwards, so I went on to the Wimbledon website and it wasn't there, and eventually someone told me I'm playing Emma. 'I feel like I'm really ready for it. I'm really excited for it. Obviously she's done so well in her career and I'm at the beginning of mine. So I think it's going to be a really good test for me, really good opportunity for me to just go out and play and have fun. I think she's a really good role model to have.' Xu came through the Lawn Tennis Association's national academy at Loughborough and remembers watching Raducanu win the US Open in 2021 with the other players who boarded there. The pair are friendly, sometimes talking together in Mandarin, with Xu's parents both of Chinese heritage along with Raducanu's mother. They got to know each other better when Xu was a hitting partner for the British team at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga last November, and the teenager is quietly confident of causing an upset having already beaten two top-100 players on grass this summer. 'I've been playing really well,' she said. 'I was probably the first one on the grass this year. So I think my game really suits grass. I'm really confident in my game at the moment. 'I'm going to go out there, enjoy every moment, give it a good go. And I believe I've got a good chance if I do all that.' Raducanu came into the tournament after a difficult couple of matches at Eastbourne amid 'some really bad' personal news, while she continues to battle a niggling back problem. There were no signs of discomfort when the 22-year-old trained at the All England Club on Friday, although she was well beaten in a practice set on Court One by former champion Elena Rybakina. Raducanu did look a lot more smiley later when she was spotted walking around the grounds with US Open mixed doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz. Her clash with Xu could be scheduled for one of the main courts, which would not phase the teenager. 'I said to my coach: 'When am I going to get to play on Centre Court again or Court One',' said Xu. 'I'm really ready to embrace it and really just go out and enjoy it. At the US Open last year I got to play on Louis Armstrong, which I think was an amazing experience as well. So I've had that kind of big court, big stadium experience. And if I do get to play on that court, I'm really excited.'
The Independent
10 hours ago
- The Independent
Family says hidden spy cams at Airbnb captured footage of them having sex, kids using bathroom: lawsuit
A Georgia couple vacationing in Puerto Rico was stunned to find spy cameras hidden throughout their Airbnb, only to have their worst fears realized upon discovering surveillance video – including sound – that shows them having sex, as well as footage of their two kids in the bathroom, 'naked or [in] various stages of undress.' 'The sheer fear, emotional distress, rage, and profound sorrow – and the deep sense of violation experienced by the [pair], both personally and on behalf of their children – were unfathomable,' according to a bombshell lawsuit reviewed by The Independent. The family members are identified in court filings only by their initials, so as to 'avoid the[ir] revictimization… due to the sensitive nature of the grievances asserted,' listing the mom and dad as 'G.P.M.' and 'E.R.R.,' respectively. In an attempt to identify the culprit behind this astonishing invasion of privacy, G.P.M. searched the memory card in one of the cameras for the earliest available file, wondering if any recordings existed from when the devices were installed. 'To her indescribable horror, she discovered a video showing [one of the two hosts]... in the master bedroom installing and adjusting the… lens of the hidden camera, holding a second camera… and later confirming the live feed on his cellphone while verifying the camera's angle and viewpoint,' the family's complaint states. José Morales Boscio, the family's attorney, told The Independent, 'My clients seek justice against the perpetrators who invaded their life as a family and violated their constitutional rights to intimacy. Airbnb must be held accountable, as it profits from the commercial enterprise it operates, while trying to avoid its responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment for its guests.' An Airbnb spokesperson told The Independent that the host in question is no longer allowed to list his property on the site. 'Hidden cameras have always been banned on Airbnb,' the spokesperson said. 'We take any rare reports of violations of our policy seriously. We have banned the host's account as investigations continue and have assisted the authorities.' Earlier this year, an Arkansas couple vacationing at an Airbnb in Scottsdale, Arizona, filed suit after they say they 'enjoyed an intimate moment' on their first evening there, only to subsequently discover a hidden camera above the bed, as The Independent first reported. On February 15, 2025, G.P.M. and E.R.R. booked a week-long vacation for their family at an Airbnb in Hatillo, a rural hamlet of about 4,000 on Puerto Rico's north coast. When the four got there on February 17, the two co-hosts directed the couple to the two-story home's two-bed, two-bath upstairs unit, according to the complaint, which was filed June 24 in San Juan federal court. Four days into their stay, G.P.M. was in the hallway bathroom, getting ready to go to the beach, when she looked in the mirror and noticed a strange reflection coming from an electrical outlet behind her, the complaint goes on. Upon closer inspection of the socket, the complaint continues, G.P.M. saw a 'round crystal that resembled a camera lens.' G.P.M. immediately summoned E.R.R., who told G.P.M. that her eyes must be playing tricks on her, the complaint states. 'G.P.M., however, insisted that her concerns were real, and it was not and proceeded to check the electrical outlets in the master bedroom, where she discovered a second outlet containing what also appeared to be a camera lens,' the complaint says. 'E.R.R. again dismissed her concerns, and the family then left for the beach.' While there, G.P.M. searched the internet and found other travelers' stories about hidden cameras at Airbnbs, according to the complaint. Upon arriving back at the property, the complaint says G.P.M. inspected the outlet above the mirror in the master bathroom, and discovered a hidden camera 'about the size of a pencil point.' As E.R.R. went about removing the outlet itself, a 'black box wrapped in tape with a long wire attached emerged from the wall,' the complaint states. The two contacted Airbnb through its website, and G.P.M. also called 911 to report the three hidden cameras to police. There were also two hidden cameras found in the occupied downstairs unit, according to the complaint. Airbnb offered G.P.M., E.R.R., and their kids another place nearby, and they agreed to move, the complaint states. But since they still had access to the first apartment, G.P.M. and E.R.R. returned to check the cameras' memory cards, the complaint explains. As they opened the files, G.P.M. and E.R.R. 'saw their children['s] images, naked or on [sic] various stages of undress,' and 'saw themselves during their stay, which included them having sexual relations,' the complaint alleges. It says G.P.M. then saw the footage their host had inadvertently uploaded back in February 2024, of himself installing the spy cams. While investigators waited for a judge to issue a search warrant, the complaint says the host and co-host, as well as an 'unknown woman with a laptop in hand,' entered the property via a rear entrance and began removing the hidden cameras. Enraged, E.R.R., who was waiting in a neighbor's house for police to return, 'ran into the upstairs unit and physically confronted one of the hosts, dragging him out,' then engaged the co-host and the woman 'in a heated exchange,' the complaint states. The three eventually left the scene in separate vehicles, according to the complaint. Once they handed over the memory cards to police, G.P.M. and E.R.R., who were scheduled to fly home the next day, sat down with local prosecutors to provide their version of events. Following the meeting, the complaint says the family went to a nearby restaurant for something to eat. 'Shortly after arriving, G.P.M. went to use the restroom but experienced her first panic attack of more to come,' the complaint states. 'Overcome by the feeling of being watched, she was unable to use the restroom, and the [family] left the restaurant soon after.' Deeply traumatized by the experience, E.R.R. postponed the family's return flight by a week, hoping to salvage at least part of their trip, according to the complaint. But, it says, that night, G.P.M. 'began experiencing vivid nightmares in which she and her children were being watched.' 'The following day, G.P.M. noticed that their 9-year-old daughter was withdrawn, avoiding spending time with the family,' the complaint asserts. '... They left their accommodation only when absolutely necessary during the remainder of their stay. G.P.M. concentrated on providing emotional support to their daughter, who confided that she was feeling unwell and believed she was falling into a state of depression as a result of the ordeal.' Now back in Georgia, the family continues to suffer from 'severe emotional distress,' according to the complaint, which says they have 'remained in therapy to this day.' G.P.M. and E.R.R. are seeking a minimum of $5 million in damages over the ordeal, claiming an 'intentional, malicious, and negligent invasion of their privacy.'
Leader Live
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Rising star Mimi Xu relishing clash with ‘really good role model' Emma Raducanu
One of the standout draws of the first round from a home perspective saw the former US Open champion paired with 17-year-old Mimi Xu, who is among a trio of talented teenage British girls aiming to make a name for themselves. Xu, along with 16-year-old duo Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic, has been rewarded for an impressive junior career and strong early strides in the women's game with a coveted wild card. Mimi Xu vs Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon! — Tennis Wales (@tenniswales) June 27, 2025 The Welsh player, ranked 318, was left scrambling to try to find out who she had drawn, saying: 'It's quite funny because we're moving into the Airbnb this morning at five past 10 and I get a message from my coach, and he was like: 'What an exciting draw!' 'And then my mum's getting messages saying, 'That's so good, so exciting this and that', and not saying the name. And I haven't seen the draw. I'm like: 'Oh my gosh, what is the draw? Who am I playing?' 'And no one was replying afterwards, so I went on to the Wimbledon website and it wasn't there, and eventually someone told me I'm playing Emma. 'I feel like I'm really ready for it. I'm really excited for it. Obviously she's done so well in her career and I'm at the beginning of mine. So I think it's going to be a really good test for me, really good opportunity for me to just go out and play and have fun. I think she's a really good role model to have.' Xu came through the Lawn Tennis Association's national academy at Loughborough and remembers watching Raducanu win the US Open in 2021 with the other players who boarded there. The pair are friendly, sometimes talking together in Mandarin, with Xu's parents both of Chinese heritage along with Raducanu's mother. They got to know each other better when Xu was a hitting partner for the British team at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga last November, and the teenager is quietly confident of causing an upset having already beaten two top-100 players on grass this summer. 'I've been playing really well,' she said. 'I was probably the first one on the grass this year. So I think my game really suits grass. I'm really confident in my game at the moment. 'I'm going to go out there, enjoy every moment, give it a good go. And I believe I've got a good chance if I do all that.' Raducanu came into the tournament after a difficult couple of matches at Eastbourne amid 'some really bad' personal news, while she continues to battle a niggling back problem. There were no signs of discomfort when the 22-year-old trained at the All England Club on Friday, although she was well beaten in a practice set on Court One by former champion Elena Rybakina. Raducanu did look a lot more smiley later when she was spotted walking around the grounds with US Open mixed doubles partner Carlos Alcaraz. Her clash with Xu could be scheduled for one of the main courts, which would not phase the teenager. 'I said to my coach: 'When am I going to get to play on Centre Court again or Court One',' said Xu. 'I'm really ready to embrace it and really just go out and enjoy it. At the US Open last year I got to play on Louis Armstrong, which I think was an amazing experience as well. So I've had that kind of big court, big stadium experience. And if I do get to play on that court, I'm really excited.'
