Jennifer Sokolowsky

After more than three years of deliberations, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to approve new rules that regulate short-term rentals in the city. The law goes into effect in July.

Transient occupancy taxes are levied on facilities that provide accommodations for customers. The obvious model is a hotel or motel. But that might be the only thing that’s obvious about these taxes. Like sales taxes, transient occupancy taxes — sometimes called hotel or lodging taxes — can get applied in convoluted ways by state and local governments.

The winter holidays can be a magical time for children, but they can be fraught with emotional baggage and logistical challenges for parents who are sharing custody or visitation of their children. Navigating the holidays successfully requires advance planning and cooperation between parents — and a formal holiday custody and visitation agreement is crucial.

In recent years, social media has had a profound impact on art institutions and visitors alike, influencing not just the marketing but also the creation and curation of art.

The regulation of short-term rentals is a hot topic in cities across the United States. As the popularity of online short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO, and HomeAway has grown, conflicts have increased as well — with disgruntled neighbors objecting to vacation party houses, the hotel industry seeking a level playing field, and cities looking to reap tax revenues.

Written for Adrian Clarke, founder of Evident Proof, which uses blockchain technology to bring ‘trusted, distributed consensus’ to supply chain management.

It’s never been easier to find whatever it is you want online. Whether you’re shoe shopping, house hunting, or antiquing, there’s a website or an app for that.

That also goes for finding a short-term vacation rental — and for finding a date. The best practices for each may have more in common than you think.

Fires and floods don’t care whether a property is inhabited by owners or renters. However, most states have laws that address how landlords and tenants deal with a rental property in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

National Entrepreneur’s Day is November 21st, just in time for us all to take a moment of appreciation for the hard work and courage it takes to build a business, before the chaos of the holiday season truly sets in.

Once a month, Seattle Art Museum sponsors a tour geared to those with low or no vision. For the participants, the Art Beyond Sight program offers a unique chance to connect with art and find community.

Written for Alastair Johnson, CEO of Nuggets, a blockchain-based e-commerce payments and ID platform.

2017 was undoubtedly the year of the data breach — and 2018 may be following suit when it comes to personal data getting into the wrong hands.

Halloween is a holiday that gives license to kids and adults alike to get silly and strange. But in some places, the law doesn’t want you going too far with your Halloween celebrations.

The short-term rental industry is booming, with no end in sight. This rapid growth has caught many communities unawares as an industry that previously existed only in major tourist destinations has taken hold in all kinds of locations across the country.

Sexual harassment is in the spotlight, with an avalanche of high-profile accusations and falls from grace. But the issue doesn’t just affect politicians and well-known celebrities.

Anyone operating a short-term vacation rental knows dealing with lodging taxes is no one’s favorite part of the job. But it’s important to get lodging taxes right. Failing to do so can lead to a lot of hassles — paperwork, fines, penalties, and more contact with government tax agencies than anyone ever cares to experience.