SHORT-TERM RENTALS: A GROWING PEST?

By Jan Bergemann     

Published June 23, 2017

 

Let’s make no mistake: Community associations were not necessarily built with the intention to create short-term rentals. They were built to house families – or in Florida – snowbirds, but not weekend rentals to accommodate some wild party-goers!

 

The complaints about short-term rentals in community associations are piling up, especially since companies like Airbnb are promoting these types of rentals. Even the Florida legislature dealt with this issue – but the bill (H 425 – Vacation Rentals) “Died on Calendar”. Please see as well the article: "Airbnb regulations: Local governments know best. The argument about these “vacation rentals” is going on since quite some years.

 

Some folks use it to create some extra income, some others have figured out that it’s a splendid way to make “real” money.
 

But normally the neighbors object. Imagine your neighbors rents out his 3-bedroom home to a wild-party crowd of twenty (20) with fifteen cars parked all over the neighborhood. Wouldn’t you go crazy if you bought a home in a nice quiet neighborhood trying to enjoy your retirement?
 

I have heard many such complaints from folks totally upset about their short-term “neighbors.

 

And the dream of some “extra” income can quickly backfire. Ask an owner in an HOA in Orlando who (most likely not on purpose) rented her home over the weekend to some guys who organize parties. The advertising on Facebook and Twitter attracted about 400 people who more or less “destroyed” the neighborhood. The owner was asked by the HOA to pay for the damage. I can assure you: The damage by far exceeded the rental income.

 

Your deed-restrictions may yet not have rental-restrictions. But I know that quite a few boards are working on ways to restrict short-term rentals. But beware of “wild” renters who don’t care about the association rules. Most associations have “nuisance rules in their governing documents – and these provisions could be used against you in a law-suit – if your short-term renters are too “wild!”


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Jan Bergemann Jan Bergemann is president of Cyber Citizens For Justice, Florida 's largest state-wide property owners' advocacy group. CCFJ works on legislation to help owners living in community  

associations. He moved to Florida in 1995 - hoping to retire. He moved into a HOA, where the developer cheated the homeowners and used the association dues for his own purposes. End of retirement!

 

CCFJ was born in the year 2000, when some owners met in Tallahassee - finding out that power is only in numbers. Bergemann was a member of Governor Jeb Bush's HOA Task force in 2003/2004.

 

The organization has two websites to inform interested Florida homeowners and condo owners:

News Website: http://www.ccfj.net/.

Educational Website: http://www.ccfjfoundation.net/.

   
We think that only owners can really represent owners, since all service providers surely have a different interest! We are trying to create owner-friendly laws, but the best laws are useless without enforcement. And enforcement is totally lacking in Florida !


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