New Orleans ramps up enforcement, removes thousands of illegal Airbnbs

New Orleans French Quarter

NEW ORLEANS — After years of illegal short-term rentals slipping through the cracks, the City of New Orleans says it’s finally cracking down.

For years, the city struggled to regulate an exploding short-term-rental market.

Thousands of properties listed on Airbnb and VRBO operated without valid permits, avoiding taxes and frustrating neighbors who said their residential blocks were turning into tourist zones.

Councilman Joe Giarrusso says the city’s enforcement has finally caught up with the problem.

Read the full story from WDSU here