Staff Reports
Floridians are showing their love for vacation rentals.
A new poll from Mason-Dixon Polling & Research showed 93 percent of Floridians believed travelers should be allowed to rent accommodations other than hotels, like vacation rentals; a sign lawmakers could face opposition if they try to restrict the rights of homeowners to offer vacation rentals.
The Jacksonville-based polling firm conducted the poll of 635 registered Florida voters by phone from Feb. 24 through Feb. 28. The survey, which was first reported by POLITICO Florida, has a margin of error of 4 percent.
The survey showed 61 percent of Floridians said state and local governments shouldn’t have the authority to ban homeowners from renting out their private homes for less than 30 days. The poll found 65 percent of Southeast Florida voters and 63 percent of Central Florida voters said local governments shouldn’t have the authority to ban homeowners from renting out private homes.
More than 80 percent of Floridians said they thought vacation rentals are an important component of the state’s tourism industry. Nearly 60 percent said vacation rentals, like beach houses, were very important to the state’s tourism industry; while 26 percent said it was somewhat important.
The survey also found 41 percent of Floridians said online platforms, like Airbnb and Homeaway, help the Florida economy.
6 comments
Mary
March 8, 2017 at 9:27 am
We did that last year thru Home Away. It didn’t work out well.
Amanda
March 8, 2017 at 10:37 am
I don’t think that short term rentals should be prohibited in all circumstances, nor should local governments be prohibited from regulating commercial businesses in residential neighborhoods.
In fact, when I purchase a property in a residential zone, and an illegal hotel opens up next door, it is violating my property rights and damaging the value of my property.
More over, short term rentals should not be given special rules that are different from other lodging establishments. When you do that we are in fact damaging the lodging establishments that do comply with all rules placed upon them. There should be no double standard in regulating any industry.
Finally, this poll is disingenuous at best. If you really to know how people feel about this issue, you must present both the benefits and the costs. Unfortunately, this poll does not provide a full picture of this issue.
Native7
March 8, 2017 at 2:10 pm
Actually, the length of the term of a rental does not define it as a commercial activity. A 12 month rental provides income to the investor exactly the same way as a 1 week rental does so, by your theory, both would be deemed commercial. Short term rentals are not hotels, they are residential rentals the same as any other and should not be regulated any differently because of the term which is what Florida law states. I feel this poll clearly reflects the opinion of most Floridians that understand the economy and the fact that many travelers prefer to stay in a home.
Carol Teitelbaum
March 8, 2017 at 1:37 pm
If you’re talking about sites like AirBNB, then wouldn’t it depend on the individual homeowner’s HOA policy?
Tim deratany
March 8, 2017 at 5:09 pm
This was a weighted poll that favored AirBNB and other online platforms!
If one of the questions on the poll was do you want your next door neighbor to rent their house to groups of 8 to 10 people every night with 3 cars and a party mentality, then I know that the anwsers would “HELL NO”
Tim deratany
March 8, 2017 at 5:12 pm
Leave off the word HELL
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