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Airbnb strikes hotel tax deal with Kent County

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It will be a little more expensive from now on to rent a room, apartment or house through Airbnb in Kent County.   

The county assesses a 5% hotel tax to pay for its convention center, but Airbnb users didn't have to pay it until now. 

Airbnb allows people to rent a room in their home to travelers, or rent their whole apartment or house. 

County officials say the deal levels the playing field for hotels, and will bring in up to $100,000 more a year in tax revenue. The county uses the hotel tax to pay off a bond that funded the construction of its convention center.

The new county tax is on top of a 6% state tax that Airbnb agreed to pay the state of Michigan last year.

Airbnb recently also agreed to charge Genesee County's hotel tax.

Tracy Samilton covers energy and transportation, including the auto industry and the business response to climate change for Michigan Public. She began her career at Michigan Public as an intern, where she was promptly “bitten by the radio bug,” and never recovered.
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