Carpets make a warm comeback

For the past decade or so it has been ripped up and tossed out but now carpet is making a comeback. People are keen to cover their cold and draughty floorboards and sink their feet back in something with a bit more comfort, warmth and depth. From cut pile to shag, block color to swirly pattern, wall-to-wall carpeting is once again smothering wooden floors.

As for renters , a great rug renaissance is in full swing.

“While wall-to-wall carpets used to be passé, they are definitely having a bit of a moment now,” says Elizabeth Metcalfe, the author of New English Interiors: At Home with Today’s Creatives. “There is a nostalgic charm, but I think they also bring coziness and warmth to a space – a hugely appealing prospect when we’re faced with rising energy bills.”

Liza Laserow Berglund, the co-founder of the Stockholm-based rug company Nordic Knots, which has gained an almost cult-like following for its simple but striking designs, describes a rug in a room as “the fourth wall”.

“It frames a room,” she says. “People think about curtains but the floor really needs texture and warmth as well.”

One of Donald Trump’s first memos to staff was an instruction to change the Oval Office’s floor covering. As the Bidens were still packing up, the Democratic blue rug was being swapped out for a pale beige circular version, originally designed by Nancy Reagan for her husband’s time in office. Trump previously had installed it during his first term. According to White House aides, this time around pieces of the Resolute Desk had to be disassembled so the rug could be placed underneath it.

Lorna Haigh, the creative director for Alternative Flooring, a UK-based company that sells everything from sisal to chunky wool carpets, says this year carpet is going to “take preference over hard flooring”. Ruggable, which makes machine washable rugs in tufted and shaggy styles, reports a 67% surge in website traffic. Its most popular size is a generous 185cm by 275cm.

Even luxury fashion designers are championing the trend. At the recent menswear shows in Milan and Paris, the typical stripped-back catwalks were covered in plush overlay. At Prada, a giant scaffolding set jarred sharply with a tactile blue art deco-inspired carpet. It was sourced from Catherine Martin, a homeware brand owner and costume designer who has collaborated with her husband, Baz Luhrmann, on several films including Elvis (a carpet devotee who covered Graceland in a thick pile).

Prada’s co-creative director, Raf Simons, described the carpet as “alive” and “a reaction to what a set usually is”. Meanwhile, at Brioni models plodded along a burnt orange shag-pile rug while at Amiri, a brand best known for its streetwear-inspired pieces, there was an 80s-esque plush fawn-colored version.

After years of greige interiors where every listing on Rightmove has begun to blur into one, a maximalist backlash has begun. Social media is peppered with posts of floors in bold prints and saturated colours. At Ruggable it is colour-blocking designs, nature-inspired motifs and “AI-generated visuals” that “blur the lines between reality and fantasy” that are most popular. Metcalfe mentions rug combing, where rugs are overlapped or laid side by side to create a layered look as an emerging style.

Elsewhere, the designer Henry Holland has swapped out his beige stairs for a custom-made swirly brown and white patterned runner inspired by 90s rave culture. The Standard Hotel in London embraces the electric blue carpet while in Claridge’s newly revamped suites, the designer Bryan O’Sullivan has used floral art deco rugs. On Instagram, Alexa Chung described feeling “sick about how much I like this carpet” alongside a photo of a floral Heartsease patterned carpet at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire.

Martin credits the periodic nature of fashion as fueling the trend. “Everything in life is cyclical … naturally, the fashion or the desire for a different decorating style is swinging back towards carpet.”

Berglund, who has a rich honeyed color “Leo” rug in her bedroom with a matching headboard and curtains, describes it as very soothing. “Your home is your most intimate space. It’s your safe haven. With how the world is today it’s even more important to create something that you love coming home to.”

Source: The Guardian

Sufficient proof to establish a parcel of land as alienable and disposable

In the Philippines, to establish that a parcel of land is alienable and disposable (A&D)—meaning it is no longer part of the public domain and can be owned privately—you need to provide sufficient proof.

Republic Act (RA) 11573 entitled "An Act Improving the Confirmation Process for Imperfect Land Titles, amending for the purpose of Commonwealth Act 141," as amended, otherwise known as "The Public Land Act," and Presidential Decree 1529, as amended, otherwise known as the "Property Registration Decree," was approved on July 16, 2021 and took effect on Sept. 1, 2021. This ensures the continued titling of the agricultural lands and simplifies the procedures and requirements for the judicial confirmation of imperfect titles.

As background, before the enactment of RA 11573, the prevailing jurisprudence was Republic vs. T.A.N. Properties Inc. (GR 154953, June 26, 2008, penned by Associate Justice Antonio Carpio), which established the following requirements to prove that the land sought to be registered is alienable and disposable:

"It is not enough for the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro), or Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) to certify that a land is alienable and disposable. The applicant for land registration must prove that the DENR Secretary had approved the land classification and released the land of the public domain as alienable and disposable, and that the land subject of the application for registration falls within the approved area per verification through survey by the Penro or Cenro. "In addition, the applicant for land registration must present a copy of the original classification approved by the DENR Secretary and certified as a true copy by the legal custodian of the official records. These facts must be established to prove that the land is alienable and disposable."

However, in the case of Republic vs. Pasig Rizal Co. Inc. (GR 213207, Feb. 15, 2022, penned by Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa), it was stated that the requirements to prove the alienable and disposable character of land in Republic vs. T.A.N. Properties Inc. have been superseded by the enactment of RA 11573.

Section 7 of the RA 11573 declares that a certification by a duly designated geodetic engineer of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that the land is part of alienable and disposable agricultural lands of the public domain sufficiently proves that it is alienable, to wit:

"SECTION 7. Proof that the Land is Alienable and Disposable. — For purposes of judicial confirmation of imperfect titles filed under Presidential Decree 1529, a duly signed certification by a duly designated DENR geodetic engineer that the land is part of alienable and disposable agricultural lands of the public domain is sufficient proof that the land is alienable. Said certification shall be imprinted in the approved survey plan submitted by the applicant in the land registration court. The imprinted certification in the plan shall contain a sworn statement by the geodetic engineer that the land is within the alienable and disposable lands of the public domain and shall state the applicable Forestry Administrative Order, DENR Administrative Order, Executive Order, Proclamations and the Land Classification Project Map Number covering the subject land.

"Should there be no available copy of the Forestry Administrative Order, Executive Order or Proclamation, it is sufficient that the Land Classification (LC) Map Number, Project Number and date of release indicated in the land classification map be stated in the sworn statement declaring that said land classification map is existing in the inventory of LC Map records of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (Namria) and is being used by the DENR as land classification map."

At present, the presentation of the approved survey plan bearing a certification signed by a duly designated DENR geodetic engineer stating that the land is part of alienable and disposable agricultural land of the public domain shall be sufficient proof that the land is alienable, provided that the certification bears references to:

(i) the relevant issuance (e.g., Forestry Administrative Order, DENR Administrative Order, Executive Order or Proclamation); and

(ii) it contains a sworn statement by the said geodetic engineer that the land is within the alienable and disposable lands of public domain.

In the absence of a copy of the said relevant issuances, the sworn statement of the DENR geodetic engineer must state: (i) the LC Map number; (ii) the Project Number; and (iii) the date of release indicated in the LC Map; and (iv) declaration that the LC Map is existing in the inventory of the LC Map records of the Namria and is being used by DENR as land classification map. The said geodetic engineer must also be presented as witness for proper authentication of the certification so presented.

Source: Manila Times

Should Airbnbs Be Banned In Tourist Destinations

The temptation to ban short-term rentals is strong. But cities would do better to step up regulation.

The Predicament

Talk to any resident of a world city popular with visitors, and two complaints inevitably come up: Rents are too high, and there are too many tourists.

It’s tempting (and, data suggest, not unjustified) to place some of the blame for these woes on Airbnb Inc., Vrbo and other websites that facilitate short-term rentals. Critics accuse them of reducing the supply of available homes and saturating popular neighborhoods with wild partygoers. Shops catering to these visitors end up elbowing out other smaller businesses, making daily life even harder for locals.

In response, many cities have already introduced restrictions on short-term rentals, with some moving toward total bans. Barcelona requires property owners to apply for a tourist license for rentals of fewer than 31 days. Earlier this year, authorities there announced they would stop issuing licenses and not renew existing ones until after November 2028. Others are following suit: In September, residents in Budapest’s sixth district narrowly voted in favor of a total ban that would take effect in 2026.

But bans also penalize city residents and visitors, including short-stay hosts conscientiously trying to follow rules and be good neighbors and guests who mind their manners. Is there a compromise that enshrines the ben­efits of short-term stays without driving up costs and frustrations for year-round residents?

The Case For

Because renting out homes by the day is often more profitable than by the month, Airbnb and its ilk are an irresistible draw for landlords. Critics say the proliferation of short-stay listings leaves prospective tenants chasing a dwindling number of long-term rentals, jacking up prices and pushing out those who can no longer afford them.

A 2018 study by New York City’s comptroller found that whenever the number of short-stay listings in a given area increased 1%, average rents in that neighborhood rose 1.6%. The spread of Airbnb and competitors, the study said, was responsible for 9.2% of all annual NYC rent increases from 2009 to 2016.

The Booming Short-Stay Market

To limit this impact, cities ­including New York have placed restrictions on short-term stays. But enforcement is a challenge. A 2017 study of publicly available agreements found that Airbnb and other platforms rarely provided exact addresses for dwellings to cities seeking to monitor locations. Even in cases where rule-­breaking can be proven, hosts often go unpunished. According to a 2022 study, the city of Los Angeles fined or sent warning letters to only a third of the illegal listings detectable within the city that year.

City governments might be more tolerant of short-term rentals if there were a clear economic case. But studies cited by the Economic Policy Institute found they jeopardize revenue flowing into municipal coffers because the recording and implementing of tax obligations from short-stay hosts are less comprehensive than for hotels, partly because some local agreements cede responsibility in this area to the short-stay platforms themselves.

There are also concerns that short-term rentals leave travelers more exposed to scams and other types of harm, compared with hotel stays. Then there’s the nuisance factor: Barcelona’s Airbnb ban comes after widespread public protest in the city against antisocial behavior from tourists, notably late-night noise from tenants of short-stay lettings. Add it all up, and it’s no surprise that many city leaders are contemplating wholesale bans, rather than more stringent regulations.

The Case Against

Airbnb and its competitors may be unfairly taking heat for housing crises that are largely not of their own making. When a country such as the UK would need to build another city the size of London to satisfy its current housing needs, it’s clearly insufficient home-building, rather than tourism trends, that’s to blame. There are also tentative signs that curbs on short-term stays may not be having the desired effect on easing long-term rental costs—and not just because of a lack of enforcement. In September 2023, New York City banned the renting of entire units for fewer than 30 days. (Spare rooms within homes permanently occupied by hosts were exempted from the rule.) One year on, many apartments previously offered for short stays have simply shifted to medium-length stays of more than 30 days, a market that’s even less regulated, while the modest rent decreases observed since then have been attributed to other factors.

“As we have seen in New York City, short-term rental bans do not alleviate housing challenges,” Theo Yedinsky, Airbnb’s vice president for public policy, said in a statement, “only benefitting large hotel chains that rapidly increase their rates. Airbnb has always welcomed reasonable regulations that balance the needs of communities with the ability of residents to earn additional income.”

It’s also important to note that not all Airbnb listings are suitable, or even viable, for full-time rental. Beach or winter sports resorts, for example, commonly have apartment buildings that were always intended as seasonal housing. Additionally, even if most vacation apartments are run by hosts with multiple listings, comprehensive bans penalize ­single-listing hosts who rely on the platforms to supplement their income.

The Common Ground

Although no city appears to have cracked the code on controlling short-term stays, most could do a better job of regulating them. Making sure hosts register their dwellings through a licensing system can make for a safer service, where tax rev­enue is also easier to collect.

Some city authorities say that for full enforcement of existing rules, they would need access to a more robust database that allows cities to click on a short-stay listing, trace it to a specific address and owner, then see how much it has been occupied across all platforms.

Airbnb has been working more closely with cities to address these concerns, moving in the direction of greater transparency. For instance, the company introduced the Airbnb City Portal in 2020, which makes it easier to check listings against licenses.

Airbnb is also involved in projects such as the Airbnb Housing Council that promote affordable housing in urban communities. “We have successfully worked with governments around the world to enforce proportionate local STR regulations,” Yedinsky said in his statement, “and believe cities should address the needs of their individual neighborhoods prescriptively as a more effective way to regulate.”

There are city leaders who say that Airbnb has been a benefit and that current restrictions are working. Rui Moreira, mayor of Porto, Portugal’s second-­biggest city and a popular tourist destination, says recent constraints placed on the number of Airbnbs permitted in its most popular neighborhoods have proved effective, encouraging hosted apartments to spread out from the city core. That’s helped spur the economic revival of run-down areas that might otherwise struggle to find funding, he says.

Source: Bloomberg