The group, which includes longtime housing activist Calvin Welch, public relations professional Dale Carlson, and former San Francisco Planning Commissioner Doug Engmann, is spearheading a measure in November to restrict people from renting their rooms or apartments to travelers via Airbnb, VRBO and similar sites. Whereas Chiu's legislation would legalize short-term rentals citywide, the ballot initiative would allow temporary rentals only in neighborhoods with commercial zoning. The ballot measure also requires hosts in apartments or condominiums to show permission from their landlords or homeowners associations, require Airbnb to verify with the city that each unit is registered, and require hosts to show proof of insurance. [...] the proposal calls for a private right of action for any citizen to file a complaint about an Airbnb rental, go to court, and receive 30 percent of any fines and back taxes that result, along with all their attorney fees. The idea attracted support from across the political spectrum; 72 percent of independents, 59 percent of Republicans and 66 percent of Democrats backed legal status for the rentals. Unite Here Local 2, the hotel workers union, does not have a position on the proposed ballot measure, said chapter President Mike Casey, although he favors regulating Airbnb more strictly than Chiu's legislation would do. Preferring legislationKevin Carroll, executive director of the San Francisco Hotel Council, which represents about two-thirds of the hotel rooms in the city, said his trade group has yet to take a position on the ballot proposal or on Chiu's legislation, but prefers to work through the legislative process.