LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Gov. Pete Ricketts has signed a bill to prevent Nebraska cities from banning short-term home rentals such as Airbnb, Home Away and VBRO.
The measure approved Thursday was one 43 bills signed by the governor. It comes at a time when major cities such as Los Angeles, New York City and Paris have passed restrictions or outright bans on such rentals.
The Nebraska bill by state Sen. Adam Morfeld, of Lincoln, still allows cities to tax short-term rentals and regulate them for health and public safety purposes.
It also gives online short-term rental companies to enter into an agreement with the state to collect and pay sales taxes that are owed.
Ricketts says the new law gives Nebraska property owners the opportunity to embrace the “sharing economy.”