HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-08-16 Ellison, Vacation Rentals - Public CommentHello-
I am writing as a concerned resident with at least two direct neighbors who rent short-term to
vacation renters. One house is a rental and it is rented weekends with full knowledge of the
landlord, the other is rented by the owners when they are away, usually weekends.
Particular to my neighborhood, I feel strongly against such rentals because I feel that such
arrangements detract from the dynamics of the neighborhood. For the essentially sub-letted
house, there is no fence between the yards and the family next door with 4 kids is subjected to
whomever rents via a website -I presume that this does not involve any background check and I
would not enjoy having such strangers renting next door to my young children. Prior to the destruction of the nearby hotels, this same neighborhood has had meth cooking, heroin overdose,
and sex offenders staying nearby -so it would seem similar crimes could occur only within
houses via websites. The subletting scenario, as well as any short-term rental also raises
questions about insurance should significant damage occur.
Moreover, I cannot philosophically see many community benefits from short-term rentals. Such a program can facilitate absentee landlords who can make money off of an otherwise empty
house. This type of investment in a vacation home can and likely does drive up housing costs,
directly counter to the city's attempts to provide affordable housing. Such practice also competes
with hotels and b&b s somewhat unfairly as licenses and taxes are not paid. This also deprives
the city and state of income, essentially helping to subsidize the practice by making it more attractive to renters who would otherwise stay in a hotel.
Also, the practice disrupts routines and social dynamics as strangers are plopped into the
neighborhood with little to no notice. They may or may not have dogs or children, neighbors
may then avoid having their children or dogs near such houses due to the unpredictability in safety.
I have traveled extensively and used short-term rentals, however only condominiums that are in a
time-share setting and where such practices are the norm. Turning neighborhoods into time-
shares is a very different business and I am in favor of restricting the practice whether through
zones or licenses accompanied with some sort of oversight such as inspectors for safety and tax purposes.
Sincerely,
Kevin Ellison, Ph.D.
1125 E. Babcock St.
Marwyn Addition Bozeman, MT