I agree with Ddinac, Airbnb is a wonderful experience. We have met some very nice interesting people. Airbnb requires lots of info from both parties. We have stayed in self contained tiny apts to sharing million dollar homes. All positive experiences. Really I think Airbnb is ok for The Villages. Airbnb travelers have to trust hosts and visa versa, it works, it just does?

The windows in most of the houses in TV are considered egress windows, because of their low height-but IMHO short time rentals that are less than 30 days degrade a community

I agree that Airbnb travelers and hosts need to trust each other. Many hosts/travelers are very kind and considerate, but there are also some that are not. The problem with Airbnb is that it forces the neighbors of the hosts to also have to trust the hosts and travelers. There is zero upside for the neighbors of the hosts, but lots of downside. Furthermore, the neighbors have no say in the matter, but their quality of living is directly effected by the other parties decisions and actions.

Before we bought our house, we read the deed restrictions very carefully and took comfort that we would be living in a neighborhood zoned single family residental and not as a business district. In my opinion, Airbnb hosts are not acting consistently with the intent of the deed restrictions.

Right on--TV is a residential community, despite what others might think its not a resort

Well said.

Airbnb
 

I have used them in Long Island and had very good experiences.

I think there is a difference. The lifestyle rentals are confined to separate areas within The Villages, not scattered throughout the community. Same with the Waterfront Inn. An airbnb could be anywhere within the community.

No difference to those that live near the lifestyle villas.

Never used one and probably never will. I sure would not one in my neighborhood.

I wouldn't want to own a home next to a hotel, so why would I want to live by a daily/weekly rental. Most people might be good, but it only takes 1 bad renter. The worry for the neighbor, not the landlord.

We have one in the neighborhood, it sucks.

Report it to community standards, they will send the homeowner a letter informing them of a complaint and stating that they are in violation of deed restrictions.

If the owners are not currently in The Villages, who cleans the property and changes linens between short-term renters? With such low rates being charged, it would eat up profits to pay a cleaning service.

I'm curious as to who/whom could legally be the arbiter, on the minimum length of time...a house could be rented?

If, let's say, a minimum of 30 days was instituted, wouldn't that adversely impact a selling point for The Developer who have no problem with people buying their houses for investment purposes...as long as they buy?

I can hear the howls if a regulation that no homes could be rented and they all have to be only owner occupied...were to be instituted.

Since so many homes can be rented for a month, or even a week...who should be given the authority to determine that less than a week is prohibited?

Who gets to make that determination?

Da Family?

Da homeowner?

Or maybe even Da neighbors?

And if that power were in the hand of the neighbors (or Da Family/homeowner for that matter), it's a steep & slippery slope...to regulating a lot of other criteria for renting or living here.

While it's obvious that controlling who lives here is an appealing prospect for certain people, I believe that is the antithesis of living in this great country...or being an American. :ohdear:

And one last thought, even if it's for a month at a time, how is that different from 'being a business'...than the one who does it nightly?


:popcorn:

Most airbnb rentals are by homeowners living in their home and renting out space in their house to others, so both the owners and renters are co-habbitating if you will.

The original question was is AB&B good or bad. This is my take. It is good for the host. It is good for the renter. It is BAD for the neighborhood

An interesting article
Why You Shouldn’t Use Airbnb: 8 Troubling Issues You Didn’t Know • The Invisible Tourist

Can the same not be said for ANY home rentals, whether it's a day, week or even 6 months...if they are not hotels/motels?


It seems to me that the only difference between a regular B&B and an AirB&B...is breakfast. :D


So should regular B&B's...be outlawed also?

After speaking with one of the developers, who by the way was very nice, intelligent, articulate, and willing to speak with me for as long as necessary, here is what I learned regarding how the developer views the renting of homes and if this practice is allowed under the deed restrictions.

There are two deed restrictions that come into play when it comes to rentals, one is that Villages homes are restricted to being used as single-family residences, and the second is that homeowners are not allowed to operate a business out of their homes.

As far as rentals by homeowners who are NOT LIVING in their homes while they are being rented, weather they are part time residents, snowbirds, or investors, the developer does not see this as a violation of any deed restriction as long as they are renting to someone using the home as a single family residence. In other words, they can not rent to multiple parties at the same time. Since the homeowner is not living there while the home is being rented, they are not considered to be operating a business out of their house. This situation also applies to homeowners renting their entire house using the Airbnb platform, as long as the homeowner is not living in the home while it is being rented. Under this scenario, using the airbnb platform is no different than using a rental agency to find renters for the home.

On the other hand, Airbnb hosts who are LIVING IN THEIR HOMES and renting out space in their homes to others while they continue to live there are in clear violation of both deed restrictions. First, the residence is not being used as a single family residence when both the owners and renters are sharing space under the same roof. And second, if a homeowner is living in their home and renting out space in their home to third party renter's (which they have to report income on to the appropriate taxing authorities) then they are clearly running a business out of their home.

The developer made it clear to me that their job is not to police the approximately 150,000 (and growing rapidly) homes in the Villages and insure that each one is in compliance with all deed restrictions. The policemen of the Villages are the residents, who can submit violations of deed restrictions to community standards. Each and every complaint is taken seriously and looked into. So Airbnb hosts that are living in their homes and renting to third parties are clearly in violation of deed restrictions, but the violation will only be addressed one home at a time each time a complaint is received on an individual residence.

The way I view it is that if an Airbnb host is running a very good business, carefully screening potential renters, and keeping the renters totally in line so that the business does not disrupt the neighborhood, no one is likely to complain and it will be business as usual. On the other hand, the Airbnb operations that become disruptive to the neighborhood will most likely get reported to community standards and hopefully their disruptive business will discontinue operating.

Regardless of how good or bad an operation each and every Villages Airbnb host runs, who is renting space in their home while living in the home, you are in violation of two deed restrictions and have to live with that.

Hope this helps clarify things regarding Airbnb and deed compliance.

It’s the current trends to rent places short term. People usually pay a good amount as tenants. Please treat them like you would your neighbors or as you’d want to be treated. They may even be renting to see if they like your neighborhood.

This article is all wet. We are hosts and travelers. Air bnb does not stand for bait & switch or shady rentals. Those are the facts.

Sorry but not true, the real fact is that there are good hosts and travelers and bad ones. Your experience has been with the good ones, but trust me, the bad ones exist also. If you want proof, PM me with your phone number and I will call you next time our neighbor has some bad travelers staying at their house and you can stop by and see for yourself.

I agree with you 100%..this is my community not a getaway destination. If people want to rent rooms by the night go to Disney World. No one is happy with transients coming and going all the time.

:agree:

Since it is now very clear that its against community standards for a resident to rent rooms in a residence that they occupy, should be very easy for , community standards to go thru adds for Airbnb, and find out who is in violation, just look ad any add that says "private room"

True but I don’t think Community Standards is in the business of investigating. As mentioned, the neighbors are the “policemen.”

OAN I can’t help but wonder how homeowners insurance companies react when they find out my home is being rented out on a daily basis. The homeowner would need to notify the insurance company to protect themselves from liability.

Apparently, there are 114 private rooms available for rent in The Villages on airbnb next week.

Wow! That is a lot.

Gotta be very gutsy or desperate for $$, to have a total stranger sharing your house for $$--big risk--easiest home invasion ever--1 person makes a reservation--& a buddy comes to your house--the person who made the reservation , says he didn't feel like going to TV

The Villages Hometown Getaway - Houses for Rent in The Villages, Florida, United States
Here is one example

Thanks for the link, very interesting as one rents a room in the home with the owners. This a bed and breakfast Abnb!!!!

I would have to be seriously hard up for cash to do this, take the risk, do the work and put up with the lack of privacy for $70 a night.

They are offering the inducement of access to the amenities...Now that probably infringes upon use of the amenities by legitimate residents by increasing the number of people using them. Too, other residents are financially supplementing this business through their amenity fees.

I wonder if they are paying all of the various taxes due on this business endeavor, if their insurance company knows they are housing business invitees in their home. Also home owner mortgages typically require owner occupancy. If one rents the mortgage rates are higher so the lender might want to know about this if there is a mortgage on the premises.

It seems like the crux of many of the complaints is not Airbnb itself but short term rentals in general. Which is old news here.

Thanks for the explanation. It sounds like that would effectively prohibit people from having roommates, too.

Old news and something that will never be stopped.
Not all airbnb renters stay in the home with the renters.
Homes, rooms, and golf carts will ALWAYS be rented out here by homeowners. Nothing anybody on the board can do about it, but it won't stop 8+ pages of griping and worrying in a couple of threads a year.

The Villages Hometown Property Management Short Term Rentals
 

Is The Villages Hometown Property Management owned by the developer? Check-in for these rentals is at The Villages sales office in Lake Sumter Landing if that is any indication of ownership. What looks like the official Villages logo appears on the website.

The home page features "Patio Villas starting at $400/week" "Courtyards and Cottages (Ranch) starting at $500/week." "Vacation like a millionaire."

Just for curiosity, I went on the HPM web site, typed in furnished rentals for 11/1/2018 to 11/8/2018, and 82 rentals are listed as available located all over The Villages.

So if HPM is owned by the developer, then the developer is also profiting from the short term rental market in The Villages. That is probably not new news to most of you.

I am not sure who owns HPM, regardless, there is no deed restriction on short term rentals, just on rentals of any length to people who are sharing space in the home with the homeowner.

There is very little in The Villages that the developer doesn't profit from. They either own, or have a stake in many, many business in TV. If the developer can profit from short term rentals, why shouldn't the residents?

I still feel sorry for the neighbors.