In summary: enforcement is more important than regulation. It's not just rental prices that have gone up, I noticed that hotel prices have soared as well. What an overall nuisance and terrible...
In summary: enforcement is more important than regulation.
It's not just rental prices that have gone up, I noticed that hotel prices have soared as well. What an overall nuisance and terrible thing airbnb has turned out to be for eveyrone except for shareholders.
I think the "better experience" bit is pretty subjective and can vary based on needs. I've seen a few people make the point that Airbnb is more practical for families with young children or larger...
I think the "better experience" bit is pretty subjective and can vary based on needs. I've seen a few people make the point that Airbnb is more practical for families with young children or larger groups. They usually have multiple bedrooms, so you don't have to worry about logistics of keeping track of kids across multiple hotel rooms. Hotels do offer multi-room suites, but those can be pretty expensive for considerably less space than a similarly-priced Airbnb listing.
Airbnbs also have kitchens, which isn't a universal feature at hotels. That's very convenient for people who are dealing with multiple young kids, way easier to stay in and make food than wrangle them to go out for every single meal. On that note, hotels aren't really guaranteed to have places to sit besides the beds. I think most rooms I've stayed at had just one chair and a table/desk, so not really good for eating in with multiple people.
I don't like how Airbnb's model has harmed the real estate market, but I do get why they're more appealing in some cases than hotels. If you're going to be shelling out a lot of money for a multi-room suite at a hotel, might as well rent a whole house or apartment with extra amenities for a similar price.
That's because the logistics of a hotel are just more efficient. Airbnb might make sense for someone treating a spare bedroom as a hostel, but hotels and inns are designed the way they are for a...
That's because the logistics of a hotel are just more efficient. Airbnb might make sense for someone treating a spare bedroom as a hostel, but hotels and inns are designed the way they are for a reason. For an essential like cleaning, it's easy to send housekeeping room to room in a hotel. For a bunch of rental homes, you have to add driving and carting supplies around. It's just a pain.
As a real estate investor I dont have a problem with cracking down on AirBnb's and short term rentals. I have one house that I do rent out fully furnished but my minimum is 2 months, and I'd hate...
As a real estate investor I dont have a problem with cracking down on AirBnb's and short term rentals. I have one house that I do rent out fully furnished but my minimum is 2 months, and I'd hate to see those be regulated out of business - its very popular with travelling professionals who would much rather stay in a house than a hotel and my monthly rate is about half the cost with MUCH more privacy and far more to offer for amenities (like a very private pergola in the landscaped back yard).
Ive also had grandparents who stayed for 3 months while looking for a place to live in town, as well as a couple of actors who were there during the 2 month run of their stage show. Also had a family who sold their farm and were moving back to Australia but were waiting for their visas. Current renter is an senior 'snowbird' who lives in Canada for 6 months and then heads south for the winter for 6 months.
They do have their place. What I dislike and I think all of the neighbors would agree, is when the occupants change every day or two. Too much traffic, too much commotion, too much risk that someone is just there to party it up and disturb everyone. Airbnb was a good concept when it started but it seems like its been corrupted by a few very bad apples. And its not even a good deal anymore, with rates that often exceed the local hotels and many hosts imposing restrictive rules that take the fun out of it - Who wants to have to do the dishes, sweep the floors and wipe everything down before they leave?
These medium-term accommodations are so vital — not only for people doing longer trips, but also for people who are in between rental contracts, people who are experiencing temporary homelessness,...
These medium-term accommodations are so vital — not only for people doing longer trips, but also for people who are in between rental contracts, people who are experiencing temporary homelessness, people who are moving to a new school district but want to let their kids finish up the year at their old school, etc. They have been a lifeline for so many people I know, and I'm honestly surprised by how hard they are to find. It would be a huge shame if they were regulated out of existence.
Do you mind sharing where you list your place? Or where people can find short term furnished rentals for a few months. It’s been hard to find for me outside of friends and abnb.
Do you mind sharing where you list your place? Or where people can find short term furnished rentals for a few months. It’s been hard to find for me outside of friends and abnb.
Im in Canada so mostly on Kijiji (eBay's local ad site, basically the Canadian version of craigslist) and on facebook marketplace. Never have a problem finding a tenant with just those two.
Im in Canada so mostly on Kijiji (eBay's local ad site, basically the Canadian version of craigslist) and on facebook marketplace. Never have a problem finding a tenant with just those two.
Two solutions that don't work are "white listing" neighborhoods and setting nights per year caps. White listing just picks winners and losers in neighborhoods and reminds me of red lining. If you...
Two solutions that don't work are "white listing" neighborhoods and setting nights per year caps.
White listing just picks winners and losers in neighborhoods and reminds me of red lining. If you are going to have a cap, just say that and set a hard cap on the maximum number of STR business licenses that will be given out, and offer a waiting list or lottery for those. If you want to "pick winners" then offer extra "tickets" in the STR business license lottery based on the number of years the business owner has lived in that town or zip code. (In other words, oh the business is owned by a local who has lived here 10 years? You get 11 tickets in the lottery for the next available STR license instead of 1.)
Setting yearly caps on nights also doesn't work. It just encourages them to rent only during peak season and leave it vacant the rest of the time. It's a lose-lose, you don't get that unit back on the market for people to live in, but you also take away from potential off season economic activity from visitors, which is really the sole benefit of airbnbs.
I do think we need to heavily tax these places. Honestly I would be OK with doubling the transfer tax and adding a 10x multiplier to the mill levy to any houses that are not owner occupied at least 75% of the year. That includes long term rentals. A few nearby towns have hired companies to do sting operations for unlicensed STRs. You also need a local, 24 hour person to be available to guests, much like a hotel has a front desk. In fact I think a 24 hour front desk is a great way to separate hotels regulations from airbnb regulations.
Spitballing a regulation idea: every property has a progressive occupancy tax for every rental each year. The first short term rental each year has a $1 tax. Every next one multiplies the previous...
Spitballing a regulation idea: every property has a progressive occupancy tax for every rental each year. The first short term rental each year has a $1 tax. Every next one multiplies the previous tax by 10. So the second rental is $10, third is $100, etc. This allows what Airbnb is supposed to be: people renting out their residencies when they are out of town. A family that takes 2 or 3 vacations per year will be almost unaffected. An owner who exclusively short term has millions in taxes.
In summary: enforcement is more important than regulation.
It's not just rental prices that have gone up, I noticed that hotel prices have soared as well. What an overall nuisance and terrible thing airbnb has turned out to be for eveyrone except for shareholders.
It's strange, but hotels tend to have cheaper price, a better experience, and are often more convenient than Airbnbs/Vrbos.
I think the "better experience" bit is pretty subjective and can vary based on needs. I've seen a few people make the point that Airbnb is more practical for families with young children or larger groups. They usually have multiple bedrooms, so you don't have to worry about logistics of keeping track of kids across multiple hotel rooms. Hotels do offer multi-room suites, but those can be pretty expensive for considerably less space than a similarly-priced Airbnb listing.
Airbnbs also have kitchens, which isn't a universal feature at hotels. That's very convenient for people who are dealing with multiple young kids, way easier to stay in and make food than wrangle them to go out for every single meal. On that note, hotels aren't really guaranteed to have places to sit besides the beds. I think most rooms I've stayed at had just one chair and a table/desk, so not really good for eating in with multiple people.
I don't like how Airbnb's model has harmed the real estate market, but I do get why they're more appealing in some cases than hotels. If you're going to be shelling out a lot of money for a multi-room suite at a hotel, might as well rent a whole house or apartment with extra amenities for a similar price.
That's because the logistics of a hotel are just more efficient. Airbnb might make sense for someone treating a spare bedroom as a hostel, but hotels and inns are designed the way they are for a reason. For an essential like cleaning, it's easy to send housekeeping room to room in a hotel. For a bunch of rental homes, you have to add driving and carting supplies around. It's just a pain.
Edit: spelling
As a real estate investor I dont have a problem with cracking down on AirBnb's and short term rentals. I have one house that I do rent out fully furnished but my minimum is 2 months, and I'd hate to see those be regulated out of business - its very popular with travelling professionals who would much rather stay in a house than a hotel and my monthly rate is about half the cost with MUCH more privacy and far more to offer for amenities (like a very private pergola in the landscaped back yard).
Ive also had grandparents who stayed for 3 months while looking for a place to live in town, as well as a couple of actors who were there during the 2 month run of their stage show. Also had a family who sold their farm and were moving back to Australia but were waiting for their visas. Current renter is an senior 'snowbird' who lives in Canada for 6 months and then heads south for the winter for 6 months.
They do have their place. What I dislike and I think all of the neighbors would agree, is when the occupants change every day or two. Too much traffic, too much commotion, too much risk that someone is just there to party it up and disturb everyone. Airbnb was a good concept when it started but it seems like its been corrupted by a few very bad apples. And its not even a good deal anymore, with rates that often exceed the local hotels and many hosts imposing restrictive rules that take the fun out of it - Who wants to have to do the dishes, sweep the floors and wipe everything down before they leave?
These medium-term accommodations are so vital — not only for people doing longer trips, but also for people who are in between rental contracts, people who are experiencing temporary homelessness, people who are moving to a new school district but want to let their kids finish up the year at their old school, etc. They have been a lifeline for so many people I know, and I'm honestly surprised by how hard they are to find. It would be a huge shame if they were regulated out of existence.
Do you mind sharing where you list your place? Or where people can find short term furnished rentals for a few months. It’s been hard to find for me outside of friends and abnb.
Im in Canada so mostly on Kijiji (eBay's local ad site, basically the Canadian version of craigslist) and on facebook marketplace. Never have a problem finding a tenant with just those two.
Two solutions that don't work are "white listing" neighborhoods and setting nights per year caps.
White listing just picks winners and losers in neighborhoods and reminds me of red lining. If you are going to have a cap, just say that and set a hard cap on the maximum number of STR business licenses that will be given out, and offer a waiting list or lottery for those. If you want to "pick winners" then offer extra "tickets" in the STR business license lottery based on the number of years the business owner has lived in that town or zip code. (In other words, oh the business is owned by a local who has lived here 10 years? You get 11 tickets in the lottery for the next available STR license instead of 1.)
Setting yearly caps on nights also doesn't work. It just encourages them to rent only during peak season and leave it vacant the rest of the time. It's a lose-lose, you don't get that unit back on the market for people to live in, but you also take away from potential off season economic activity from visitors, which is really the sole benefit of airbnbs.
I do think we need to heavily tax these places. Honestly I would be OK with doubling the transfer tax and adding a 10x multiplier to the mill levy to any houses that are not owner occupied at least 75% of the year. That includes long term rentals. A few nearby towns have hired companies to do sting operations for unlicensed STRs. You also need a local, 24 hour person to be available to guests, much like a hotel has a front desk. In fact I think a 24 hour front desk is a great way to separate hotels regulations from airbnb regulations.
Spitballing a regulation idea: every property has a progressive occupancy tax for every rental each year. The first short term rental each year has a $1 tax. Every next one multiplies the previous tax by 10. So the second rental is $10, third is $100, etc. This allows what Airbnb is supposed to be: people renting out their residencies when they are out of town. A family that takes 2 or 3 vacations per year will be almost unaffected. An owner who exclusively short term has millions in taxes.