Burns joined Airbnb on Feb. 29, 2016, at a time when the home-sharing giant was facing city regulation that included Emanuel's proposal to slap a 2 percent surcharge on the booking of any shared housing unit, bed-and-breakfast or vacation rental. The City Council's 43-to-7 vote to regulate the burgeoning home-sharing industry followed months of contentious debate on how to balance the interests of Airbnb hosts, who are thrilled with the extra income from booking their spare rooms, with the concerns of neighbors, who are sometimes dismayed by the rowdy antics of some short-term renters. To appease aldermen whose wards have been overrun by home-sharing, the mayor allowed residents of individual voting precincts to "go dry" and ban Airbnb and its competitors from residential neighborhoods, using a petition process similar to the one used to block bars and liquor stores.