Shutting down VR's St. Augustine FL

[Pauline237]

Trying to reach all hosts with a VR in St. Augustine. We have an urgent need to alert them to a workshop they need to attend on 5/22 at 9am. There are 10 neighborhood Associations who are well organized and aggressive who have the ear of City leaders. We need host to go and be heard! Can Airbnb help us get the word out? 

[Michelle1678]

I wish I had known about it.  I would have made sure I was there.  I just saw this post. Did you go? How did it turn out? I live and rent in the Fullerwood tract neighborhood by the Deaf and Blind School. There is a fairly new unofficial "Fullerwood Association".  Where are you located? 

Michelle 

[Pauline237]

Hi Michelle. See the online article from New4Jax posted 6/10/2019 regarding the last meeting. A Committee is being formed. You should see if they still need members. I won’t go into detail now but if Hosts (and business owners who are supported by our guests) don’t get involved we are going to have severe limitations. There are some very influential people leading the charge against and frankly they don't care how it affects revenue from tourism or private property rights of owners. I have several multi generational families that have made my home their destination for years and they will not return if they cannot rent a home and be together. I pay 5x the taxes and take better care of my property than anyone on my street. I don’t know about you but my guests have been lovely. And they park on my property so not sure how they are infringing? The City needs to be a careful not to rush into regs that will make it impossible to continue but that is where we are headed. Thanks for writing and hope you get involved! Airbnb sent out a notice before the last meeting which helped. I heard some hosts suggest we wear red in future:-) Take care! Pauline 

[Pauline237]

And please spread the word to other hosts... unfortunately we are less well organized. 

[Rhonda179]

Now a new "study" panel has been formed. They are meeting for the next 3 weeks or so. Is anyone following this? Also - I understand many parts of downtown which still allow vacation rentals must have a minimum of 4 nights. Does this pertain to all parts of DT, uptown, lincolnville, Anastasia and north city? How can anyone sustain this? What if you Also live on premises? Does that change anything? We had been searching for a family home with vacation rental potential as well, but this has made the affordability for us go way down. Also, I notice zoning for monthly rentals changed on some streets where there have been traditionally garage apartments behind family homes. large historic homes are still set up for multifamily, but zoned single residential. And meanwhile, the prices are rediculous with the scope of work needed. It seems a bit more thought needs to be put into the practicality of city decisions. 

[Pauline237]

I am out of town and not able to be part of the study or the process but I know that some of the people who say they are collecting feedback from residents are coming at this with a VERY negative agenda. The survey alone asks: What are the issues VR's are causing you? Which VR's are causing the most trouble? Wow...what a negative pretense for a survey! I also know that they are only asking certain residents. Very troublesome and unfair. I agree that a ton of thought needs to be put into any change. We have a vibrant tourism trade but if visitors have no good options for longer stays (like homes that can house all of their family comfortably) then they will most certainly stay for shorter periods or skip St. A altogether. Being able to rent a home has become a new and richer way to travel and is very different than 6 people staying in adjoining hotel rooms. So many local businesses and our City's tax revenue will suffer. There's a very strong and organized group and they are gunning for removal of VR's. They have even said to some homeowners: We are coming for you! Scary and the level of contempt unwarranted. If there are bad eggs let's get rid of them but for the most part you have really lovely families renting a home for a short term, disturbing nobody and dropping serious money into our economy. Shame on St. A if they let these angry mobs have control over my property rights. 

[Pauline237]

Rhonda and Michelle-if you are able to go to the meeting on 8/7 will you report back? I have no way of hearing from other hosts otherwise. Thanks! 

[Angela1552]

Hello.  I am new to Airbnb and I have a house on Anastasia Island.  I don’t even have any reviews yet but I just had my first guest. Anyway, I came across this document last night (see link below) and I’m a bit nervous about our future as hosts.  Have any of you registered with the City or have a permit to operate as a VR? 

http://www.citystaug.com/document_center/Administration/ShortTermRentals/08.01.19Packet.pdf

[Beth5119]

I’m familiar with this form. I haven’t applied for a permit though. It seems to me if I went through the proper channels, it would be impossible to rent my house out. The city says they only give 100 permits out and that they are currently all taken. 
also I cannot find where my neighborhood is listed as low density or high density. So I have no idea if I’m even allowed to do what I’m doing. 
how about you? Did you fill it out and file it with the city?