Scott Powers
A new group calling itself AirbnbWatch Florida has emerged declaring its goal as “to bring attention to illegal hotel operations in residential areas” in the Sunshine State.
The group is a state chapter of a national group called AirbnbWATCH, which is a project of the American Family Voices, a non-profit advocacy group that does not disclose its donors. The national AirbnbWATCH also lists the backing of such diverse supporters as the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the UNITEHERE! Local 11 labor union. AirbnbWATCH Florida’s background is not yet disclosed on either the Florida Division of Corporations or Florida Division of Elections.
“AirbnbWATCH Florida, a neighborhood watch group of concerned individuals and organizations, today launched its effort to bring attention to illegal hotel operations in residential areas that are disrupting communities and posing safety concerns for Floridians,” stated a press release issued by Bascom Communications and Consulting in Tallahassee.
Their target, Airbnb [and competing services like it] is a rapidly-growing, by-the-night, private home rental service run through apps. Last year Airbnb arranged for 754,000 visitors to stay in 16,100 private homes in Florida in 2015, according to a press release Airbnb issued in July.
AirbnbWATCH Florida’s legislative agenda, as stated on it’s Facebook page: “We urge lawmakers to close the ‘illegal hotel loophole’ and hold Airbnb accountable for keeping communities safe and playing by the rules.”
“It seems a bit counterintuitive that an organization purporting to be a ‘Florida neighborhood watch group’ is operated out of Washington D.C.,” said Ben Breit, spokesperson for AirBNB Florida. “This is simply a poorly veiled front group for the national hotel lobby. We will continue to work in support of our amazing Florida host community while engaging proactively with mayors and policymakers in all 67 counties.
Sarah Bascom, spokesperson for AirbnbWATCH Florida, insisted the group is not directed from elsewhere.
“This group has been transparent from the outset about its supporters and its objective,” she said. “It is a broad and diverse group of stakeholders who care about this issue and the need to rein in commercial operators. Opponents are simply trying to distract from the real issue, which is that they are fostering activity that is outside of the confines of Florida law on their platform and they could take simple, transparent steps to stop it. Airbnb is not the community partner they claim to be.
“There are many implications of the rise of hotels that operate outside of Florida law via home-sharing platforms. AirbnbWATCH joins residential neighborhood, affordable housing advocates and the legitimate lodging industry who all care about fair and even application of zoning, health and safety laws, and taxes,” Bascom added.
Airbnb contends it and its client homeowners abide by state and local lodging rules and regulation. But the AirbnbWatch group argues against that. The new Florida group also is alleging abuses bringing chaos to otherwise-quiet neighborhoods.
One such example is the house next door to retiree Tom Alderson, 75, and his wife in Longwood. That house was sold to someone last year and a few months later became an Airbnb-fueled bed and breakfast, he said. Alderson said he’s spent the better part of a year trying to find a government agency to get involved, without luck, and now says “the security is totally gone for the neighborhood.”
“We’ve got a year-round Spring Break happening next door to us with new people we don’t know coming in and out at all hours of the night,” Alderson said in a release issued by AirbnbWATCH. “It’s not only bad for our property values, it’s horrifying when strangers start showing up in your neighborhood night after night. Legislators shouldn’t wait for Airbnb to move in next door to them before regulating this. They won’t like it either, that’s for sure.”
The Florida Division of Hotels and Restaurants does not license or regulate Airbnb.com. However, the Division of Hotels and Restaurants retains jurisdiction over licensed establishments utilizing Airbnb.com services. Whether an individual home host applies for a lodging license and complies with state standards generally is on a case-by-case basis.
In Europe and elsewhere, the service has become enormously popular. Worldwide, Airbnb claims more than 2 million hosts and 60 million visitors using the service.
There also is a rising concern about unfair competition with highly-regulated hotels, motels and other lodging facilities in Florida.
“What sense does it make that Airbnb’s unlicensed property owners are not held to the same standard as traditional bed and breakfasts?” Florida Bed and Breakfast Inns Executive Director Patricia Detwiler stated in the news release. “To protect consumers, following fire and safety codes, operating in accordance with existing local zoning laws, and complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act should be applied evenly to the short-term rentals next door. I say a simple solution would be requiring short-term rental operators to register and be required to publish a license number when advertising.”
6 comments
Neighbours Not Strangers (Trish Burt)
December 15, 2016 at 5:16 am
Greetings Airbnbwatch Florida from ‘Neighbours Not Strangers’ in Sydney Australia!
In our State of New South Wales we have what could be considered ‘world’s best’ legislation with case law aplenty which stops short-term letting.
It appears our State Government is rushing to give Airbnb et al the ‘green light’ to every property across our State.
Let’s share our data and work together to save our residential housing for our residents.
Good luck from us here!
Tristan
December 15, 2016 at 6:12 pm
Big industry put in all these economic protectionist policies to lock out up and coming competition. Technology charted a new route around them. And now they’re pissed. Boo hoo… Until someone actually shows some metrics demonstrating a safety issue, its all hearsay. Some old guy pissed at his neighbor for doing something he doesn’t like is no bases for commercial regulations. Airbnb helps the small guy pay his mortgage and helps lower income folks make trips they can’t afford through traditional travel accommodations.
Paul
December 16, 2016 at 7:58 am
While I think there should be regulations on letting your home out (as there is), I also believe turning away Florida’s largest industry is irresponsible to say the least. Going just by the numbers above 754,000 visitors in 2015 from Airbnb alone is about $37,000,000 in tax revenue we as a state would be saying go away to (754,000 times and average of $1000 each and multiply that by an average of 5% local tax) and that is just from Airbnb alone! This is like protesting against steel mills in Philly or grape vines in Napa Valley.
The area I live in has several vacation rentals in it and one of them is right across the street from my house. In my observation, the families that visit are normal people, just as we are. In addition, the owner of the house keeps the property looking great all the time, while the house next door to me is rented long term and looks run down and cars parked everywhere. They also hold frequent parties that keep us up at night. I’m not saying this is the case always, but the stereotype that vacationers are criminals and or partiers is simply not true. I have lived for three years not and have not had one singe incident.
We have a few people in our neighborhood that are just like these folk running the AirbnbWATCH thing. They have no vacation homes next to them, but they do go out of there way to protest about them. Most of them are retired and I assume have nothing better to do then to complain something. Maybe if they are so up-in-arms about the vacation rentals (our biggest industry), they can flip the bill to compensate for the lost of tax revenue.
Jane Teis
December 20, 2016 at 6:26 am
It is not always about money. It is about the QUALITY of life for residents who want to live in peace who never thought they would end up being surrounded by commercial hotel-style rentals. It is not loss of tax revenue if it was illegal in the first place. Airbnb is continuing to present propaganda that they and their hosts are helping the tourist industry. But they are doing it illegally by violating zoning and other laws and snubbing their noses at the neighbors.
The tourist industry is alive and well WITHOUT a hotel next door to my home. Individuals like me do not have the money to fight against a $30 billion Airbnb, or to fight “city hall”. It would be great if the hotel industry groups could help the little guys like me, or somebody, PLEASE.
It is unfair to bad mouth us long-term residents as having run down homes and parking on our street which is our right, you are generalizing. People have to live someplace. You compare the Airbnb hosts (who are making money illegally) to the honest long-term residents who doing their best to maintain their homes. We are honest hard-working people who love our neighborhoods and don’t pimp them out. If you want income property, then do it LEGALLY. I don’t want a revolving door of vacationers next door to me or to any other law-abiding citizen.
To me, it is not about how nice the Airbnb house is, or how quiet they are, or how much money they bring in, it is that they do not belong in residential areas PERIOD!
The Airbnb hosts are selfish, law breakers who are money hungry. Try getting an honest job. Please.
Michael David
December 17, 2016 at 6:25 am
AirBNB is great and I fully support them in my town.
The chances of me reporting anyone to some washington dc based group for violating corporate hotel laws is ZERO.
Jane Teis
December 20, 2016 at 6:34 am
Michael David – I am a law abiding resident. I cannot afford to fight you or the $30 billion Airbnb.
Do you realize that you are supporting a Silicon Valley company with a $30 billion valuation? I’m still not sure if they have made an operating profit. I think they only care about making money and doing IPO and they all make more money. I guess it is the American way these days.
Airbnb is using people’s greed to infiltrate into our residential communities and breaking laws. Don’t you have pride in your home, community, and neighbors? Have you no consideration for a neighbor like me who simply wants to have peace at home? Where are our rights?
Comments are closed.