Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtimes
The point is The Villages was sold to us as an over 55 retirement community and these short term rentals not only don’t fit that profile but are actually disruptive to it. There are deed restrictions in place but the developer has chosen not to enforce them. It will just continue to get worse.
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Family member in a deed restricted, 55 plus, golfing community in another state just sent us (today!) a ream of information on their residents legal attempts to fight the deterioration that short term rental has done to them. For years it was scarcely noticed, then in the last 18-24 months was everywhere. No one dreamed even the houses valued at a million would ever be rented for the night ! Drinking parties, wedding receptions "guests", none of these are exaggerations. Then a tragic death of a spring break vacationer still being investigated. BUT... when it became obvious this was multiplying, not the isolated incident it was a couple years ago, they organized, got petitions, tried to work WITH the local police and county sheriff's office. Bottom line is, almost nothing can be done. Developers are just not interested in any of it, and it not really cutting into profits, despite some bad publicity, they are still selling homes, and a multitude of buyers of properties for the rental market has been brisk. Police keep trying to explain to the resident group, that there is simply nothing they can do except remove an occasional weekend party attendee, but when people complain of their drives blocked, and cars actually resting ON lawns, the police have much higher priorities. When neighbors complained of 12 people in one home, police said they have no jurisdiction for anything like that. This was a 4 BR home, and police have nothing to do with how many people, or what age, are in a house. This definitely not limited too our Villages, and it is definitely accelerating. Those heading the resident's group my relatives are in, are now working with communities all over the USA who have successfully been able to "win", extremely limited rental "rules" in their own communities to follow their steps. It is EXTREMELY expensive, VERY good attorneys needed, and all residents have to be willing to invest the money it takes to change things. Not easy !