HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-12-23 Public Comment - B. Blackwell - Ordinance 2149From:Brett Blackwell
To:Agenda
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Ordinance 2149
Date:Thursday, October 12, 2023 4:33:08 PM
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1. Do I live in Bozeman? Yes
2. Do I live in Montana? Yes
3. Have I ever rented your home or other property on a short-term basis? Yes
4. Have I ever stayed in a short-term rental like Airbnb, VRBO, etc. (an “STR”)
when traveling? Yes
5. Do I want to have the option of staying in an STR when traveling? Yes
6. Do I think the City should allow STRs in Bozeman? YES!
I invested my life's savings into my two type 3 Airbnbs and finally after 2 years have
them all set up and running. I've spent tens of thousands of dollars on the furniture
in them as well and am just now starting to see a return on them.
It Is my right as a property owner to do whatever I want with them.
Please do not let some woke college kids, with no understanding of how the real
world works or how the local economy benefits from these airbnbs, persuade you to
change any laws. Not only do my Airbnbs literally bring in hundreds of people every
year to spend money in Bozeman, but they also employ at least 5-6 different people
who clean them and manage them at different times throughout the year.
Airbnbs are not the reason rents are high in bozeman. It is a combination of low
housing inventory (Which is about to end with all the cookie cutter apartments being
built), Inflation due to bad monetary/fiscal policy by the FED and the last 2
presidents, the pandemic, and the show Yellowstone driving people to move here all
at once. ALL these factors are going to ease rapidly. Not to mention that everyone in
Bozeman makes the highest wages in the state and can easily afford the higher
rents here once the apartment inventory is completed and it drives apartment rents
down.
When I went to MSU I thought 400$ was insanely high for rent but I lived in a house
with 6 other guys and made it happen. Lifes hard. Complaining and trying to have
other peoples rights strippped from them is not the answer.
Please PLEASE at the very least do the right thing and grandfather in people
who already have STR licenses and have spent a lot of time and money
investing in them. You should also consider giving homeowners at least a
year to get an STR license before you change the law. I believe that is the best
compromise you can have where both sides will feel like you gave them a win
in this situation.
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Brett Blackwell