A.D. Cantelmo Property Management
Our Business is Property Management in Orange County California
Are short term rentals hurting neighborhoods?
I hear complaints all the time from people who own homes in
neighborhoods that are being used for short term rentals. It seems that when
one house allows this type of activity, then it spreads to other homes and
before you know it, many of the homes in the neighborhood become Motel like
businesses.
Now let’s be honest, most owners do not like any rentals in
the neighborhoods and sometimes for good reason, but short term rentals really
get people angry and it is understandable. Most people would not buy a property
next door to a motel, especially if you have a family and children. Not knowing
who is going to be occupying a residence from day to day or week to week can be
a very scary proposition to parents and other people who are responsible for
the people who live in their home. Having short term rentals in a neighborhood
that for years has had stable occupancies is no different than putting a motel
right in the middle of that neighborhood.
Beach communities have been dealing with these issues for
years, and some of the residence have been fighting back, but the courts will
in the end be deciding what power local governments have when it comes to
regulating these types of rentals. What the owners of these rental businesses
will argue is that, they own the home and can do what they want. There argument
is a strong one, they say that if you allow long term rentals, that is a
business in a residential neighborhood also, so you can’t allow one type of
rental and not another. I don’t know how you can argue against that.
This is a very difficult issue and I am very sympathetic to
home owners who buy into a neighborhood that they feel is a great place to
raise their families and then a property right next door has different people
week after week living there.
The problem is that there is so much money to be
made in the short term rental business, especially in areas that have
entertainment facilities close by. If
you have Convention Centers or Amusement Parks near a residential neighborhood,
that area becomes a magnate for short term rentals and a once stable neighborhood
can change very quickly. You can go to a neighborhood where one street becomes like a
motel district and many of the homes are owned by one owner who is raking in
the money.
Right now, there are a few areas where local governments are
banning short term rentals, but most are just putting in laws that require permits
to operate one of these businesses. That may bring in money for the local city,
but it does nothing for the people who own properties in this new type of
residential businesses.
Right now, the best thing for you to do, if your
neighborhood is being used for this type of business is put pressure on your
city council to do something. If enough people get involved, you may have a
good chance of finding a remedy for this situation before it gets out of
control.
A.D. Cantelmo Property
Management Specializes in Property Management in Orange County
Ca.