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Jack Frederick Davies (left), a Post columnist and sophomore, and Sam Raptis, a junior at Ohio University, wait to show their support for Airbnb at the Athens City Council meeting on February 15, 2016. 

Athens resident garners support to keep Airbnb in the city regulation-free

Abe Alassaf, an Athens resident and Ohio University graduate, has helped grow support for fewer regulations for home sharing options like Airbnb.

Athens resident Abe Alassaf's family is growing, which will mean more expenses for his household in the future.

Until Athens City Council began regulating Airbnbs in Athens last year, Alassaf and his wife rented out a room in their home through Airbnb to help cover monthly costs. Airbnb is an online service that allows people to rent their apartments or homes to others as lodging.

"Me and my wife do Airbnb," Alassaf, who is now expecting a child with his wife, said at a Nov. 16 city council meeting. "We pay our extra bills, our mortgage with it, trying to save a little bit of money so we can have a kid in the future."

Days after speaking out at the council meeting, Alassaf received a letter from the City of Athens that threatened a $500-per-day fine and the possibility of a misdemeanor charge if he continued renting out a room in his home to Airbnb users.

City council members previously had said the use of Airbnb was problematic for Athens residents because its users do not have to follow local safety regulations, according to a previous Post report. 

Alassaf again spoke about the topic at Monday night's city council meeting, but that time he wasn't alone.

Four other individuals spoke at the meeting and called for the city to eliminate the regulations associated with home sharing services such as Airbnb. Several others sat in the audience to show support.

Conor Fogarty, a third-year student at Ohio University who also spoke during the meeting, said the issue boils down to Alassaf's private property.

"I'm not accusing anybody here, but I'm only saying ... it doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense why Mr. Alassaf shouldn't be allowed to rent out his home to pay off his mortgage," Fogarty said.

Alassaf also echoed that sentiment before the meeting when he discussed his most recent move to combat increased regulation.

"As long as you're not infringing on your neighbor's property or happiness, why should the city care?" he said.

Alassaf has partnered with Generation Opportunity, a national organization concerned with freedom for people of the millennial generation, specifically 18- to 34-year-olds.

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Justin Pizzulli is the Southern Ohio Coordinator for the organization and was in attendance at Monday's meeting, as well.

"We had a couple of the concerned residents who were at the meeting ... ones that I had met at other activities or meetings reached out," Pizzulli said. "It's an issue that we’ve worked on as an organization in many other cities."

Pizzulli said that in both Cincinnati and Cleveland regulations for home sharing do exist, but Airbnb and other home sharing options are allowed. He added that Columbus has no regulations.

"Mostly every progressive city in Ohio is completely fine with it," he said. "In Columbus, we actually haven’t seen any negative (effects)."

But Pizzulli, along with Alassaf, is open to compromise.

"We completely understand both sides," Pizzulli said. "I think we want to come to some kind of happy medium. ... We want to see the opportunity in place."

@kaitfoch

kf992915@ohio.edu

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