Or, the other option... don't buy property that has these rules in place and you'll never have the problem. It's not like these rules pop up randomly - you have to sign condo/HOA docs as part of the closing process.
I agree. HOAs are still relatively rare outside of SoCal, so this issue is unlikely to pop up for 99.999% of the US population.
I'd agree that many of the crazy HOA stories come from CA, they are common all over. Northern VA (metro DC) has them just about everywhere (at least anything built since the mid-70s).
But, most of those mid-70s neighborhoods have fairly light-weight rules... Some architecture review, but generally not the crazy "can't leave garage door open" or "potted plants must all be in pots 13.25" in diameter" stuff.
This is the USA, I'm surprised he wasn't shot. Not joking at all, your story is actually kinda funny but it could have gone so much worse at so many points. Is that AirBnB's fault? Is it the hosts fault? Is it the cities fault for not regulating this? Is it our society's fault for allowing drinking to the point of forgetting your address? I think in the end it's just a series of unfortunate events, that give you a re…
> Is that AirBnB's fault? He wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for AirBNB. He likely could have asked the concierge at the hotel he was staying at for help finding his room in his drunken state.
He also wouldn't be there if his friend wasn't getting married and he didn't go to a bachelor party, along with a million other vendors and people he interacted with prior to getting irresponsibly inebriated and harassing a stranger. Regardless of Airbnb's legality or whatnot, the blame in this specific story lies simply on the person who chose to get too drunk.
First of all the 80s were close to 40 years ago. How about the period 2000-2010? What did change after 2010 that wasn't there before? Miami Beach was always a touristy place. Spring Break and Memorial Day were always rowdy affairs. And when I talked about shop/restaurants closing I emphasized their replacements. It's one thing for restaurants to close in Miami Beach (happens every year). It's quite another for same r…
The carnival like open air entertainment district on ocean drive.
It certainly was a factor. As was "black beach week" [1]. The Clevelander and Mango's were there in 2010 however, as was urban day weekend (as it was called then) long before Airbnb came to town. The situation started to rapidly decline after Airbnb enabled masses of low-class, unruly crowds to come to town and party, every day of the week. Every weekend of the year is a carnival-like orgy of debauchery now.
>But outside of that structure, what gives someone the right to dictate to their neighbors what they can and can't do with their own property? The fact that what you do with your own property often has direct effects on your neighbors. This is why zoning regulations exist, for example. And noise ordinances. And building codes. There isn't a magical forcefield that ends at your property line that prevents what you're…
A lot of zoning regulations exist to keep black people out. See single family zoning, redlining, and apartment building bans. Texas has barely any zoning and it’s doing fine.
>On the other hand, there is increased wear on city and county roads (many of which are gravel), and increased load on water, sewer, and sanitation services. Why would renters cause more wear on those resources than full time occupants?
Great question. In my case, the home is consistently occupied by more people than would otherwise be living there full time, and they're much more active than a family of permanent residents would be. They eat out a lot, drive around the town and up mountain roads, and if they're skiiers or outdoor sports-people, they're in and out of town every day. Guests are usually groups of blended family and friends, so there a…
Unsolicited recommendation from one person on the other end: don't charge for toilet paper. If your concern is environmental, I don't think it'll make an impact as people will just pay the $1 or $2 and use the same amount. If your concern is money, just raise your rate. Hosts who nickel and dime for that kind of stuff come off like major cheapskates and tend to have reviews that reflect that. I've stayed at places that charged per Keurig cup and it just seems so petty. Any hotel you stay at isn't going to bat an eye at giving you extra TP if you need it. I'd also note that someone traveling may be eating a more varied diet than their bodies may be used to being exposed to at home, the end result of which may factor into increased TP usage versus a native of the area.
This seems like an overly critical article. Zoning laws and NIMBY impulses should be fought tooth-and-nail and I'm glad Airbnb is doing so. The platform has allowed me to actually enjoy travel in ways I never could before. What I feel like is missing is a communication path from the community to the platform. Because people start by calling the police to complain it immediately becomes a legal and local ordinance iss…
You're confusing "let's build more residential housing for residents" with "let's open up homes meant for full-time residents to transient visitors."
Airbnb is such a racket, and it annoys me that they haven't historically been given the same critical treatment that Uber has. In many ways, it's way more discriminatory and more damaging to residents of a city and almost the complete opposite of Uber/Lyft (which benefits residents and visitors alike).
The only people Airbnb benefits in a given city are the landlords/hosts. It's not a "neutral" effect on other residents - it either crowds out supply that could otherwise go to a full-time resident or creates a safety/quality of life issue for neighbors who live adjacent to these properties that are being constantly filled with strangers.
I used to live in a flat where I was the only permanent resident on the floor and the rest were Airbnbs. My life was hell while I lived there. I don't think most people realise what a massive negative impact these places have on the people living near by. Even if you are a good guest you may not think you are having a negative impact but you are. I think tourists have to understand that when they use Airbnb they are…
American English. I hope. :) Does my writing seem otherwise?
I think "toilet tissue", and "bloody hell" aren't american standard.
Bloody hell is firmly a part of my everyday lexicon. It's not really a cuss word here so it can replace my preferred F words in polite company.
Toilet tissue is just me being confused. I buy toilet paper, facial tissue, and paper towels in enormous quantities from costco. All recycled, but it's still a mountain of paper and tissue. I have to figure something out.
Mostly correct. US zoning laws in particular are responsible for urban sprawl, separation of services from housing and the massive environmental impact that produces. Default mixed use is demonstrably more efficient use of land. Cleaver neighborhoods are toxic.
> US zoning laws in particular are responsible for urban sprawl [...] Houston managed an impressive urban sprawl without zoning laws.
Houston has zoning laws, they just don't use the Z-word.